Month: July 2018

Splendour Interview: Tim and Sam of Cub Sport (Australia) on coming-of-age with BATS and getting married without a wedding band

I’ve known Cub Sport for a long time now. The beauty of running this website has been getting to know bands from their earliest incarnation – in respect of this band, that was “Cub Scouts” (or “Tim Nelson and the Cub Scouts” even before that), and going on adventures together like riding on elephants in…

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Games Review: WarioWare Gold (3DS, 2018): It’s Wario’s World, We’re Just Living In It

WarioWare Gold is the latest in a long line of bizarre, microgame collections that can best be described as Dada art. Gold is the culmination of 15 years of WarioWare goodness, featuring the best microgames of the past, and brand new microgames for the future. You’ll be glad to know that it’s lost none of…

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Film Review: Knock (France, 2017) fails to embrace the dark satirical properties of its source material

Based on the oft-adapted French satire Knock by writer and poet Jules Romains, this name-same feature fails to embrace the dark satirical properties of its source material and instead plays out all too predictably and implausible. At the centre of the film is a suitably charismatic turn from the reliable Omar Sy, and had Knock…

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Win a copy of the gripping thriller A Quiet Place starring Emily Blunt on DVD

A Quiet Place is a taut and original thriller that follows a family who must navigate their lives in silence to avoid mysterious creatures that hunt by sound. Knowing that even the slightest whisper or footstep can bring death, Evelyn (Emily Blunt) and Lee (John Krasinski) are determined to find a way to protect their…

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Win a Blu-Ray copy of Nicolas Cage‘s latest: the futuristic sci-fi action thriller The Humanity Bureau

The year is 2030, the world is a wasteland, and in a desperate attempt to restore society, the Government has created The Humanity Bureau – whose job is to assess and remove citizens deemed to be a burden on the system. When veteran Agent Noah Kross (Nicolas Cage) is sent to investigate the case of…

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Tech Review: The Plantronics RIG 500 Pro Esport Gaming Headphones are practically perfect in every way

The Plantronics RIG 500 Pro Esport Gaming Headphones, the latest refresh of Plantronics’ longrunning RIG 500 line, are about as close to the perfect gaming headset as any I’ve ever used. I would like to preface this review with a sole caveat: while the headset I was given by Plantronics with which to conduct this…

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Details revealed for The Morrison’s sixth annual “Oyster Festival” in Sydney

Now in its sixth year, The Morrison Bar and Oyster Room’s celebratory, month-long “Oyster Festival” plans to spread plenty of events throughout the entirety of August. From 1st to 31st, there’s going to be plenty of oysters shucked around the expansive venue, with the Morrison team expecting to serve more than 17,000 of those shelled…

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Gaming Review: Sonic Mania Plus (Switch, 2018) offers more of an already good thing

Look, I reviewed Sonic Mania when it launched last year. I found it to be a breath of fresh air in a series comprehensively and aggressively starved of it for decades. It was the kind of modern update that walks an incredibly fine line, paying homage to what came before and pushing the property forward…

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Splendour Interview: Matt Caughthran of The Bronx (USA) talks Trump and a return to Australia in October

One of the groups to make an exclusive appearance at Splendour in the Grass over the weekend were The Bronx, who hit the main stage in support of their latest album, BRVNX (or The Bronx – V). Not long before they hit the stage I briefly sat down with the group’s frontman Matt Caughthran, to…

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Games Review: Sonic Mania Plus (Switch, 2018): Must go faster

Look, I reviewed Sonic Mania when it launched last year. I found it to be a breath of fresh air in a series comprehensively and aggressively starved of it for decades. It was the kind of modern update that walks an incredibly fine line, paying homage to what came before and pushing the property forward…

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Film Review: Mission: Impossible – Fallout (USA, 2018) toys with the expected and presents itself as a fresh product

Up to this point each Mission: Impossible film has operated on their own mechanisms.  The 1996 Brian De Palma-directed original felt like an organic extension of the 1960’s television series it drew its inspiration from; the 2000-released sequel was an orgy of unsubtle combat buoyed by the favoured-slow motion of Hong Kong filmmaker Jon Woo;…

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Review: Novotel Sydney Brighton Beach is an oceanside fusion of comfort and calm

During any drive past Mascot or Botany in southern Sydney you will see the iconic white, jagged pyramid-like building that is the Novotel Hotel in Brighton Le-Sands. From private balconies that gaze out to the airport and beyond to the skyline of the CBD to an all you can eat buffet and the white, sandy…

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Flight Review: “The Business” on board Virgin Australia’s newest route Hong Kong to Sydney

Last month, we took you on board Virgin Australia‘s domestic A330 business service from Sydney to Perth, and earlier this month we got to jump on board one of the first ever flights (in fact, I believe it was flight number four), between Hong Kong and Sydney. Carrier: Virgin Australia Route: Hong Kong to Sydney (VA 82)…

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Aussies in Edinburgh: Hans talks about his Fringe show Like A German, a “Kylie spectacular on a Dannii budget”

Meet Aussie Matt Gilbertson, and his acclaimed alter-ego Hans, “The boy wonder of Berlin”. Let us be clear: he is not from Australia. He’s heading to Edinburgh to bring his show Like a German to UK audiences, following performances at events like the Adelaide Fringe. I spoke to Hans – again, he’s from Berlin, not Australia –…

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Belles Hot Chicken kicks off new guest chef series “Rulers of the Roost”

Belles Hot Chicken have this week launched their very first guest chef series, dubbed “Rulers of the Roost”, which will be highlighting a superstar chef line up to join founder and chef Morgan McGlone across the Sydney and Melbourne venues of the famed chicken joint. Each guest chef will be creating a one-off, event-only menu…

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Theatre Review: Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a technical marvel (Adelaide & Perth Performances Remain)

The acclaimed touring West End production of Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time wrapped up its Sydney last night, before it heads off to Adelaide and Perth. Based on the celebrated book of the same name by Mark Haddon, the play tells the story of Christopher Boone (Joshua Jenkins in a masterful performance),…

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Six things to know before travelling to Abu Dhabi

Long seen as little more than a city of transit and the hub of Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi is fast becoming a tourist destination in its own right, with new theme park and museum openings, and things like the relaxing of licensing laws to make the city more approachable for non-Muslim tourists. Here’s just six…

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Why flying out of London’s furthest airport Southend might actually save you time

Last month, I hopped on flight BE6032 with Flybe, operated by Stobart Air, travelling from London’s Southend Airport – which at 64km distance is furthest of London’s six airport from the centre of the city (though at 63km distance, Stansted isn’t far removed) – to Groningen in the Netherlands. The airport is so far from…

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Hotel Review: Las Vegas Downtown Grand provides luxurious & comfortable access to the ever evolving Fremont Street

The “downtown” area of Las Vegas, which is situated around the iconic Fremont Street (also known as the “classic” Las Vegas strip featuring casino-hotels like the Golden Nugget) has been undergoing quite an extensive amount of changes over the past decade. The run of old hotels and casinos are still there, some redeveloped – with…

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Review: The skaters may have flown at Swan Lake on Ice, but the re-vamped ending did not (Sydney’s Capitol Theatre to 29th July)

NB: Spoilers ahead. You’ve been warned. Most people are familiar with the story of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Even if they haven’t seen the ballet, they will know some of the iconic music, in particular the dance of the cygnets. Personally – I love Swan Lake – so when an opportunity to see it performed on…

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Theatre Review: Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a technical marvel buoyed by an inspired script and powerful lead performance (Adelaide & Perth Tour Dates Remain)

The acclaimed touring West End production of Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time wrapped up its Sydney last night, before it heads off to Adelaide and Perth. Based on the celebrated book of the same name by Mark Haddon, the play tells the story of Christopher Boone (Joshua Jenkins in a masterful performance),…

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Aussies in Edinburgh: Anya Anastasia talks about her Fringe show The Executioners, a “neo-cabaret digitally enhanced explosion of musical comedy”

In the next in our interview series with Aussies set to light up the Edinburgh Fringe Festival next month, I catch up with Anya Anastasia – self-described writer, thinker, composer, activist, slacktivist and cabaret femme fatale – who will be bringing her acclaimed production The Executioners to the famed event. What can you tell us about…

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Details revealed for The Morrison’s sixth annual “Oyster Festival” (Sydney)

Now in its sixth year, The Morrison Bar and Oyster Room’s celebratory, month-long “Oyster Festival” plans to spread plenty of events throughout the entirety of August. From 1st to 31st, there’s going to be plenty of oysters shucked around the expansive venue, with the Morrison team expecting to serve more than 17,000 of those shelled…

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Flight Review: Economy X on Virgin Australia’s Maiden Voyage from Sydney to Hong Kong (VA80)

On July 2nd of this month, Virgin Australia kicked off their much anticipated service between Sydney and Hong Kong, as the carrier continues their push for growth within the Asian market. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to be on board the maiden voyage – and while an airline’s first ever flight between…

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2K’s WWE SuperCard Gets a Super-Powered Boost With Brand New Throwback, Fusion and Hall of Fame Goliath Cards

The Goliath tier of 2K’s stellar <i>WWE SuperCard</i> is set to receive a giant boost with brand new special Throwback, Fusion and Hall of Fame tiered cards. These new sets include NXT’s Bobby Fish, Raw’s Mickie James and Alicia Fox, as well as Jinder Mahal and more.

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WOOOOO! WWE 2K19 Gets A Stylin’, Profilin’, Limousine Ridin’ Special Edition

2K has finally unveiled all the details of the upcoming WWE 2K19 collector’s edition, and it’s a package fit for a 16-time WWE World Champion. Ric Flair is the newest honouree for the 2K series, representing the long and starry history of WWE and WCW.

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Live Review: Majid Jordan’s slinky retro R&B proves a massive hit at Metro Theatre

Drake’s “Hold On We’re Going Home” remains the megastar’s finest pop moment to date, which is saying a lot considering the quality of chart-toppers like “Take Care” and “One Dance”. The smoothed synthpop dipped in retro swagger bought out a side of the forever record-breaking rapper-singer that we’ve never heard before, and have never heard…

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Details released for the Xbox Adaptive Controller’s unique accessible packaging design

We’re on the cusp of a major development in gaming, and an important step forward for consumer technology. Historically, those who live with disabilities are overlooked when it comes to designing pieces of modern technology, and this has been most apparent in gaming. As you can imagine, it must be difficult to navigate traditional video…

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Tech Review: The Logitech G903 Wireless Gaming Mouse is all gamers need to strike true

What do you need in a good gaming mouse? Like, really need? You need it to be comfortable. You need its action to be smooth and precise. You need it to have the requisite buttons for basic play, and maybe one or two extra for customisation and macros. When it comes to designing gaming mice,…

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Alex Lahey, Baker Boy, PNAU and Jen Cloher among 2018 AIR Awards winners

The 2018 AIR Awards took place in Adelaide overnight, with Australian industry gathering at the historic Queen’s Theatre in the city to celebrate independent music, labels and creatives who have accomplished massive things over the last year. Performances stunned, with the likes of Caiti Baker, Bad//Dreems, Stella Donnelly, Baker Boy and Alex The Astronaut doling out impressive numbers on stage, while Dylan…

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