Month: May 2017

A massive three day dessert festival is coming to Vivid Sydney

As the city prepares for another round of Vivid Sydney some last minute events taking place during the festival are starting to take shape. The latest: a three-day festival of over-the-top and incredibly indulgent desserts like giant marshmallow sandwiches, dessert burgers and deep-fried oreo bites. It’s set to be a dramatic explosion of all things…

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Milagro Tequila opens a festive Mexican pop-up at SoCal (Sydney)

Following Cinco de Mayo earlier this month, the world’s most awarded tequila brand has brought a little taste of Mexico to Neutral Bay fav SoCal. Founded in 1997 by Mexico City natives Danny Schneeweiss & Moy Guindi, the global brand has delivered the flavour of Mexico to Sydney. Guests can expect colour, cocktails and naturally,…

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Archie Rose release Japanese inspired gin fused with Tasmanian kombu, Fuji apples and sencha

Earlier this year we brought you news of a neat new collaboration between Sydney’s Archie Rose Distilling Co. and acclaimed tattoo artist Kian Forreal, better known as Shodai Horisumi. The partnership gave rise to a new series of four rare Japanese inspired gins, the first of which was Horisumi Autumn with a very curious infusion…

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Forget Brunch: Double Bay’s Stillery is out to make “linner” a thing (Sydney)

The lush InterContinental Sydney Double Bay has already proven itself as a bit of destination for the eastern suburbs, attracting much more than just hotel guests with their winning trio of restaurant Stockroom, classy bar Stillery, and that famed rooftop bar. Oh and then there’s Sake and the newly opened Mr G’s to keep things…

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Review: Little Ceatures burn bright with the Fire Falcon Hoppy Red

the cons of Winter are always balanced against the undeniable benefits that the colder season brings. Yes there’s a lot of rain, but throughout Australia there’s also plenty of celebrations, many of which have to do with food and drink. Sydney’s got Vivid and Sydney Film Festival coming up, Tasmania has Dark Mofo to look…

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Murray’s Food Store brings mac ‘n’ cheese pies and New York style bagels to Prahran (Melbourne)

Murray’s Food Store, a modernised throwback to the classic milk bar, recently landed in Prahran and has quickly built quite the loyal following. It’s not hard to see why either, with a menu that puts twists on classics as well as offers made-to-order juices alongside freshly baked pies and New York style bagels. Taking over…

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Aussies shine while Europe demonstrates their position as one of music’s biggest players at The Great Escape

The Great Escape wound up for another year overnight, with the beating heart of Brighton’s cultural district and city surrounds hosting one final night of eclectic and diverse live music. Over Friday and Saturday’s program, we were exposed to music from some intriguing artists out of Europe who left a remarkable impression upon us – Iceland…

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Live Review: Methyl Ethel + Erasers + Reef Prince – Corner Hotel, Melbourne (19.05.17)

Playing their third sold out night in a row at the Corner Hotel in Richmond, Methyl Ethel treated Melbourne punters to a delightful night of eargasms. Having just toured Europe and a string shows at Groovin The Moo around Australia, the band are no strangers to playing to big crowds. The packed out venue was…

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Single of the Day: Night Drive “Trapeze Artist Regrets” (2017)

After some 80s inspired electronica for your ears? We’ve got you covered. Ahead of the release of their upcoming debut self titled record, Night Drive have given us a delicious first taste. https://soundcloud.com/nightdrivemusic/trapeze-artist-regrets “Trapeze Artist Regrets” will have you strutting your stuff like you’re ripe and ready for a hot fire night on the town. A steady beat, flashes…

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!!!’s Nic Offer on outlasting the hype machine and new album, Shake The Shudder

It’s amazing to think that !!! are still going and not just still going but producing some of their most consistently strong musical output of their long career. They create music which is nearly physically impossible not to dance to, and it was with great pleasure that we got the chance to catch up with…

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Win a double pass to see Wilson at the Palace Nova Cinemas in Adelaide

One film we’re particularly excited about here at The Iris is Wilson, a new comedy staring Woody Harrelson, Laura Dern and Judy Greer which hits select cinemas on Thursday, May 25th. The film chronicles the life of a lonely, neurotic and hilariously honest middle-aged man (Harrelson), as he reunites with his estranged wife and meets…

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Film Review: Neruda (Chile, 2016) is a complex bio-pic that leaves you questioning what is truth and fantasy

Neruda is a film that truly embodies its subject matter. But this proves to be one double-edged sword because it is also to its betterment and detriment. This bio-pic about the eponymous, beloved Chilean poet uses the lyrical qualities the writer employed to bend the narrative in so many ways that the result is virtually…

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Essential Eats: Seven things you need in and around your mouth in Taipei, Taiwan

As this sub-tropical island becomes increasingly knows for its nature – both on land and underwater – Taiwan is fast becoming one of Asia’s fastest growing tourism destinations. Its capital, Taipei, is a clean (really clean), fairly modern city full of lush parks, with easy access to both the beach and the mountains via one single MRT…

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FLUX contemporary Hawaiian designer pop-up rides a wave into Sydney this week

This time of year it’s mighty tempting to fight them winter chills and head off somewhere sunny, welcoming and familiar. Hawaii remains a top destination for us Aussies which is unsurprising, given how similarly laid back and beachy the vibe is over there. So for anyone craving an eternal summer or daydreaming about their next…

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Interactive performance art bar La Rosa Social Club is coming to Carriageworks (Sydney)

You’re going to want to hit up Semi Permanent this year. The design conference has partnered up with Carriageworks to bring La Rosa Social Club over to Sydney, after much success in L.A and Berlin. A concept given life by famed filmmaker Aaron Rose, the pop-up bar is designed to be pull together elements of…

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Burgers by Josh and Wild Turkey are doing bourbon infused burgers for Sydney and Melbourne

Wild Turkey are currently running an event series inspired by their iconic Master Distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russell, split between Sydney and Melbourne with an ode to passionate and talented Australian artists ranging from music to food. The food part is of particular interest here because the organisers have had the good sense to hook…

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Your ultimate food and drink guide to Vivid Sydney 2017

The always impressive Vivid Sydney will be casting a huge net of creativity over the city as of next week, presenting locals and visitors with yet again one of the most exciting programs in the entire country. Lights, music and ideas are the three pillars around which this program is curated, but there’s always so…

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T Totaler brings hand-blended tea and French earl grey chocolate latte to The Galeries (Sydney)

After building a passionate following with their Newtown store, Sydney’s beloved T Totaler, purveyor of hand-blended tea, has opened up a little bit closer to the heart of town, securing a small but impressively designed space in The Galeries. Opening up opposite Incu the purveyors of locally grown artisan tea have lined the new bright…

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Guilty and Bistro Morgan are catering College Football Sydney Cup with special burgers and donuts

Australia’s casual eats scene is so damn fine that of course the sports industry is going to want a slice. The organisers behind College Football Sydney Cup have had the good sense to move away from plastic-tasting hotdogs and stale-tasting doughnuts and enlist the help of some real pros to cater match day on 27th…

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Oscar®, Grammy® & Tony Award®-winning composer Stephen Schwartz chats to us about his new show for Princess Cruises Born To Dance

Australian cruisers will be amongst the first to see the newest show by Oscar®, Grammy® & Tony Award®-winning composer Stephen Schwartz. His first musical production (which showed on Emerald Princess during its six month season cruising out of Sydney last summer) Magic to Do– combined his lifelong fascination with magic with some of his most famous…

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Single of the Day: Juñor ft. Mann “Top Flight” (2017)

Melbourne’s Juñor has this time found himself mixing things up with LA’s Mann – known for his work with the likes of Kendrick and Frank Ocean – on new single “Top Flight”. An impressive new release from Juñor, “Top Flight” brings both groove and punchy lyrics to fruition in a combination that demonstrates the solid dynamic that has clearly resulted from this…

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Digging Deep or Digging Down? A Muse fan’s first impression of the band’s new single, “Dig Down”

Muse dropped their brand new single, “Dig Down”, overnight and the reaction has been varied. Sounding a lot like “Madness” from The 2nd Law it has a slow, pulsating bassline – possibly from Chris Wolstenholme‘s Kitara, an assumption based purely on the similarity to “Madness” – and Matt Bellamy delivers the vocals in breathy crooner…

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Simone Dow takes us through the making of Voyager’s new album, The Ghost Mile

For Perth’s Voyager, the release of their sixth studio album in The Ghost Mile marked a significant moment for the group. Coming off the back of a fruitful period spent writing in studio – a more collaborative effort than previous albums had seen – as well being created while weddings and general life continued to swirl around the…

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Kieron Shuddall on Circa Waves’ Different Creatures album potentially being ‘the biggest rock record in Britain’

We first met Circa Waves in 2014 – it was a sweaty Sydney afternoon when the Liverpudlian rockers stopped by our offices for a chat around their debut Australian appearances for Splendour in the Grass. Already, the band had generated the type of hype and momentum that helped launch bands like Catfish and The Bottlemen to popular…

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Music Video of the Day: Dear Seattle “Afterthought” (2017)

Sydney’s Dear Seattle started turning heads after uploading some pretty amazing tracks to triple j unearthed, particularly with release of breakthrough single ‘Meadows’. The group deliver their gritty indie-rock and heartfelt, raw vocals in ‘Afterthought’, the video continuing from the video for ‘Meadows’. It’s an exploration of the morning after a big one, dealing with the…

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Win a double pass to see Escape From New York back on the big screen in Sydney

The In The House series at the Event Cinemas on George Street in Sydney brings back cult classics to the big screen. The next screening is on May 26th and will see John Carpenter and Kurt Russell at it again in the 1981 hit Escape From New York. To accompany the screening, David “Quinny” Quinn from…

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Video Games Review: Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia (3DS, 2017): Stuck in the Past

I will admit to have very little prior experience with the Fire Emblem franchise, having deliberately avoided the series due to its deep lore and extensive history. Despite this, I largely enjoyed my time with its newest entry, Shadows of Valentia, which presents a simple, but surprisingly accessible story for new fans and long-time players…

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The St Kilda Film Festival kicks off an action packed 2017 program

The 34th annual St Kilda Film Festival has officially commenced for another year, and the program is nothing short of exciting. Incredibly, the festival is Australia’s longest running short film festival ever, and for opening night to take place at the iconic and newly refurbished Palais Theatre, well, what could be more historic than that. Last…

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Eight things we’re hoping to see from the return of Twin Peaks

After twenty-six years Twin Peaks breathes once more. The series formerly declared dead by director David Lynch, will return following two and a half decades of speculation and fan civil war (born by the closing scene of the final episode – Beyond Life and Death). Its revival beckons the Lynchian cult to raise their lighters…

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Sampa The Great reigns supreme as The Great Escape Festival wraps up its first night

The Great Escape brought its A-game to the first official day of proceedings out in Brighton this Thursday. The rain did not deter the delegates and punters from embracing the sheer wealth of live music to be absorbed across the wide variety of music venues within the city. While the SOUNDS AUSTRALIA Sound Gallery showcase…

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