Month: June 2018

Tech Review: Edifier G4 Gaming Headphones: Boom, boom, boom

Gaming headsets have reached an interesting tipping point. For years many of them weren’t worth the price of the box they came in. They sported ugly, heavy designs, poor quality materials and sound quality to match. But over the last five years manufacturers have — to my shock — begun to shift their focus towards…

Read More

Virgin Australia launches inflight Wi-Fi on international flights to the USA

Virgin Australia have introduced reasonably priced inflight WiFi on their international route between Australia and Los Angeles, helping passengers stay connected during the 14 hour trip. The service will cost $12 for the duration of the trip, available for passengers embarking from either Sydney (13.5 hours) or Melbourne (14.5 hours). The recent introduction means that…

Read More

Single of the Day: Emma Anglesey “Swells My Heart” (2018)

Fresh outta Tassie, the wonderful Emma Anglesey has released a brand new song in “Swells My Heart”. Taken from her forthcoming album Some Things Can’t Be Undone, Anglesey has charmed once more with this single, blending gorgeous melodies with an almost hypnotic and meditative arrangement that hooks you in from the jump. “There are times in our…

Read More

Review: Rap legends Slick Rick and Raekwon rock the mic in Sydney

Witnessing undisputed rap legends live on stage is somewhat of a rarity in Australia. We’ve (surprisingly) managed to get KRS-One, watched in awe as Big Daddy Kane rocked the mic, seen Masta Ace a few times, and we even got Biz Markie and Kurtis Blow once. Once big names through the late 80’s and early…

Read More

New York, New York: Fascinator’s Top Five Live Music Venues in NYC

Relocating to New York City was one of the best moves for Johnny Mackay, now more commonly known as Fascinator. Currently in the middle of a US tour with POND, the songwriter and performer has been hard at work preparing for the release of his new album, Water Sign. The multi-instrumentlist has been lucky enough to call both the…

Read More

Playlist: The inspirations behind Househats’ latest, “I’ve Been Broken”

Melbourne’s Househats have been continuing to carve a spot for themselves within the local indie scene by staging some impressive live shows down the east coast off the back of “All Together” and “Stop” – two tracks that have garnered decent attention on radio and in the embraces of their growing fanbase. As they continue to…

Read More

Exclusive Single Premiere: Jack Biilmann “Hills Have Eyes” (2018)

To listen to an artist like Jack Biilmann, the listener will get a sharp hit of rich blues and roots music. His music brings up reminders of artists including Matt Corby but in Biilmann’s own style, this is music that strikes its own unique chord. His new single “Hills Have Eyes” is another strong step forward…

Read More

Vivid Live Review: No Mono captivate Sydney with intimate Opera House show

Bathed in blue and green hues, as smoke envelopes the stage the goal of the night is intimacy, intimacy held perhaps at an arm’s length. No Mono the new project by #1 Dads and Big Scary member Tom Iansek and Tom Snowdon of Lowlakes relishes in the private moments, whether they are obscured by the…

Read More

Destiny 2: Forsaken drops September 4, aims to turn this spaceship around

It’s been a rough first year for Destiny 2. Despite a strong launch, its first two expansion packs — Curse of Osiris and last month’s Warmind — mostly failed to impress the community. Bungie has some work to do if they want to restore player confidence and, if the trailer for the September expac, Forsaken,…

Read More

Interview: Jes Macallan on Legends Of Tomorrow, diversity representation and Oz Comic Con Melbourne 2018

Jes Macallan is a classical dancer and occasional model and now taking a leap into acting. Best known for her role as the badass boss of the Time Bureau on Legends Of Tomorrow or as Josslyn Carver on Mistresses, one of a group of female friends caught up in mixture of scandalous activity. Macallan is…

Read More

Tech Review: Edifier e25HD Luna HD TV Speakers: Ugly betty

I’ve said before that, when reviewing home audio equipment, the exterior design of any given product is not terribly important to me as long as they device in question sounds great. Friends, the Edifier Luna HD e25HD TV speakers have really put that personal philosophy to the test. As great as they sound, and they do…

Read More

NBN boss points the finger at gamers for slow Fixed Wireless internet speeds

“Who’s downloading!?” is a common lament in any gaming household in Australia. The internet is already slow, download sizes are massive and the moment anyone starts downloading something, the speed drops out of the network and access across the whole house bottoms out. NBN chief executive Bill Morrow’s explanation for why NBN Co’s Fixed Wireless…

Read More

E3 2018: When and where you can see every E3 press briefing if you live in Australia

The most exciting time of year on the gaming industry calendar is here again. E3 2018 begins at the end of the week and that means the announcement dam is about to break. For Australians, this typically means staying up late or getting up very early for the show’s eagerly-anticipated press briefings. 2018 is no…

Read More

Game Bants: The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset (PC, 2018): The adventure continues

Game Bants is something new we’re trying here on The Iris, a pair of perspectives on the same topic, a conversation and a less formal review style. Our first crack at this style is a chat between games writer Leah Williams and games editor David Smith about the ancticipated MMO expansion, The Elder Scrolls Online:…

Read More

Sydney Film Festival Review: Disobedience (UK/USA, 2018) is a subtly compelling look into hidden passions and forbidden love

To say that the expectations for this film are quite high is quite superfluous, but it has to be said nonetheless. We have Rachel Weisz, one of the most talented actresses in Hollywood, who’s had a great run of recent films ever since starring in the weird and sweet quasi-dystopian romance The Lobster, and still…

Read More

AccorHotels purchase Mantra Group for $1.2 billion

AccorHotels has maintained a strong presence in the Australian market since first opening here with Novotel Sydney in Darling Harbour in 1999. Not only is that presence growing, particularly with the recent opening of five-star hotel – and Instagram star – Sofitel Darling Harbour, but the hotel group’s portfolio has just taken a giant leap…

Read More

Interview: Priscilla’s David Harris and Euan Doidge on fab frocks, costume changes & dancing divas

The Priscilla bus is coming. And everybody’s jumping. Sydney to Alice Springs. An intercity disco. Okay, enough Vengaboys! But dear reader, you may not know that the great, big silver bus that is Priscilla: Queen Of The Desert has rolled into old Sydney town to party and celebrate her 10th on-stage birthday. The AU Review’s…

Read More

Music Video of the Day: Jack River “Limo Song” (2018)

Jack River has continued to go from strength to strength recently; when she’s not helming incredible Electric Lady events, performing across the latest festival roll out, she’s been working on what’s set to become one of the biggest Australian releases this side of 2018, in Sugar Mountain. From that record has come “Limo Song” – another twisty,…

Read More

Games Review: Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection (PS4, 2018): Get a load of Ryu’s big package

The Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection is a wonderful little package, collecting twelve of the best Street Fighter titles in sleekly presented single game format. Twelve Street Fighter titles, you might say? But didn’t they just release Street Fighter V? Well, hold onto your hats folks because the 30th Anniversary Collection doesn’t just collect the…

Read More

Games Review: Vampyr (PC, 2018) Will Make A Vamp Outta You

Vampyr feels like a game that I’ve been waiting nearly 15 years for. Somehow, despite the wild 2008 boom of vampire fiction that followed Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight franchise, video game vampires have often been given the short end of the stick. While there are certain shining examples, from the grim western Darkwatch: Curse of the…

Read More

5 Shows To Watch On Netflix Before Queer Eye Season 2 Lands

Thanks to the revival of Queer Eye and the soon to land Season 2 we are all living for more of that wholesome positivity. And there is no doubt that we could all do with a little more self-care and self-love. The Fab 5 will be touching down in Australia this week to promote the…

Read More

Win a double pass to an advanced screening of Upgrade in Sydney.

Grey Trace, a technophobe in a utopian near-future when computers control nearly everything from cars to crime-surveillance – is paralysed in a freak mugging that leaves his wife dead. But when a billionaire technologist offers him an experimental paralysis cure – an implanted computer chip called STEM – Grey finds that the chip has a…

Read More

Win a copy of Braven starring Aquaman’s Jason Momoa on Blu-ray

When Joe and his father arrive at their remote hunting cabin, they’re hoping for a quiet weekend. What they find is a stash of heroin, hidden in the cabin by drug traffickers. When the criminals suddenly return, Joe and his father must make a kill-or-be- killed stand for survival. In Braven, two worlds collide where…

Read More

Win a copy of Beast of Burden, starring Daniel Radcliffe, on Blu-ray

Daniel Radcliffe brings his huge star power to the nerve-shredding, heart-pounding thriller Beast Of Burden. Daniel Radcliffe is Sean Haggerty – a trusted mule for an international cartel running cocaine across the U.S./Mexico border. Little do they know, however, that Sean is also working for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Alone in a small plane,…

Read More

ABC’s Stargazing Live breaks world record thanks to 46,000 Australians

The ABC has claimed a Guinness World Record title for the most people stargazing across multiple locations, thanks to 46,000 Australians from every corner of the country. In partnership with the Australian National University (ANU), the ABC’s Stargazing Live community initiative saw 46,345 amateur astronomers simultaneously observe the moon through a telescope over a 10…

Read More

2018 Melbourne International Film Festival to open with Australian premiere of Wildlife

The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) will soon be upon us once again, running from 2-9 August, 2018. The 67th outing of the Festival will also mark the premiere of actor Paul Dano’s (Swiss Army Man) directorial debut Wildlife, starring Carey Mulligan (Collateral), Jake Gyllenhaal (Southpaw) and Australia’s Ed Oxenbould (The Visit). The First Glance selection, comprising of32 films demonstrating MIFF’s…

Read More

Watch Childish Gambino explain what it’s like to portray Lando through fashion

Solo: A Star Wars Story has topped the Australian box office this weekend, claiming the number 1 spot thanks to a little touch of Calrissian charisma. In a newly released featurette Lando Style with Donald Glover, we get to go behind the scenes with actor Donald Glover (The Martian) as we get a sneak peek…

Read More

Winnie the Pooh returns in latest trailer for Disney’s Christopher Robin

The past finds a way of catching up with us all, as the latest trailer for Christopher Robin shows us. In a fresh take on a classic tale, Disney aims to resurrect the nostalgia in us all, reminding us never to forget our most cherished an innocent moments. The trailer follows an older Christopher Robin,…

Read More

Here’s your first look at Matt Groening’s new series Disenchantment

Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons, is set to launch a new adult animated comedy fantasy series Disenchantment on Netflix. And now we have our first taste of the anticipated series – the legendary animator’s first since Futurama premiered in 1999 – and a confirmation of the series’ launch date: 17th August 2018. Disenchantment will take viewers to…

Read More

5 things we learned from Romesh Ranganathan’s new series Just Another Immigrant on Stan

British comedian Romesh Ranganathan has entertained audiences as the Asian Provocateur with his travels to Sri Lanka and America. His latest series, Just Another Immigrant, will premiere exclusively on Stan and takes a leaf out of these previous books. It sees Ranganathan coming to America to crack the U.S. comedy scene with his quirky family members…

Read More