To say that it’s been a difficult time for the arts industry over the last year is an understatement. The Adelaide Fringe was one of the last events held in 2020 before Coronavirus hit and is now back in a far reduced capacity and social distance friendly way. Which doesn’t mean that everything is smooth…
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By the second day of Womadelaide, a certain peace and harmony had developed in the crowd. COVID precautions were understood and the mad rush to see everything had changed into a more relaxed atmosphere. Not that this stopped newcomer indigenous rappers MRLN x RKM whipping up some energy onstage. Marlon Motlop (AKA MRLN) was born…
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Today is International Women’s Day and it’s exciting to see that a new initiative by Canada’s National Arts Centre is cutting through gender imbalance in the music industry. And thanks to export office Sounds Australia, six Aussie artists are on-board. The Global Network for Female-Identifying Music Producers is the new virtual and global project, offering…
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Nanoleaf is bringing its Essentials Range of RGB smart lights to Australian retailers. The Essentials Range includes the 2m long Lightstrip and the A19 light bulb. Just the essentials The 2m Lightstrip sports four white LEDs per LED set, and a total of 21 LED sets per metre. That translates to 7 sets per 33cm…
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Put down that bottle of Jameson. You can pick it up later – Jameson is fine. But there is much more to Irish whisky than one or two brands. Don’t believe me? Hit up Whisky Loot and they’ll tell you – actually, they’ll show you. The Australian online whisky subscription service has decided to turn…
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Domestic travel is in full-swing, which means Sydneysiders should be swapping turns hopping between some of the state’s greatest spots. They all have their moments, but one of the most consistent in terms of both popularity and value has been, is, and will always be Orange. The pocket of serenity, wine, and some of the…
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The patchwork approach New Balance have taken to one of their latest silhouettes, the 237, is outstanding. Two colourways, both equally head-turning, are available for this recent drop, which is somewhat of an homage to the classic 327 and the aesthetic bent of the 1970s. A stitched and oversized N logo is an unquestionable presence…
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It was a year like no other, with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade relocating to the Sydney Cricket Ground for a COVID-Safe event. 36,000 spectators filled the SCG for a bright and vivid celebration by the LGBTQI+ community. The theme this year was “RISE”, a call to rise together through love, compassion,…
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Reuben Kaye is no stranger to Adelaide audiences. He is entertained and delighted us over several festivals and fringes. As emcee tonight, Kaye invites us down his late-night Kaye Hole with a group of fellow performers. The Kaye Hole is a safe place, except if you’re a straight heterosexual man who, for once, find themselves…
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The scaled-down COVID-safe Womadelaide still had plenty of the charm and community that we expect from this annual world music festival. Jamie Goldsmith presented a welcome to country and explained the meanings of the traditional greetings and names. King Rodney Park was named after a Kuarna elder. Womad opened with seasoned performer Archie Roach, who…
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Birds of Tokyo are back in swing of things with 2021 already seeing the band jet across the country in an opportunistic symphony orchestra tour, Fremantle prison shows, and an upcoming gig on Rottnest Island for Cooper’s Live, Loud & Local series. Playing tracks from their latest album, Human Design, the Rottnest gig marks almost a year…
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You may remember Paul McDermott from our television screens back in the eighties as one of the Doug Anthony All Stars. He’s not as stunningly attractive these days, but with his new bearded look, one could say that he’s still got a certain appeal – to other men with beards, perhaps. Forty years of entertaining…
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Set 30 years after the events of the original film, Coming 2 America sees Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) and his true love Lisa McDowell (a spirited Shari Headley) settled in the kingdom of Zamunda with their three daughters, living, as all fairy tale romances go, happily ever after. Prepped to take over the kingdom from…
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Opening with one of the most violently stunning set pieces witnessed in cinema in recent memory, Possessor suggests something of a techno-thriller is to follow in the 100-or-so minutes. But, almost to be expected given it has the Cronenberg name attached to it, the rug is more than swept out from underneath us as the…
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Grill’d isn’t widely known for experimentation. Sure, they’ve always been consistent in rolling out new, health-focused combinations, but they’ve never truly gone left-field with their inoffensive menu. That changes this weekend, as the burger chain partners with streaming service Binge to introduce a lamb brain burger. Yes, a lamb brain burger. And you don’t get…
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Ben Wright Smith, Melbourne-based singer and multi-instrumentalist has just dropped his album Echo Lodge. It’s a beautiful collection of songs, comprised of his two earlier EP’s, Psychotropical (2018) and Volcano God Head Explodes (2020), as well as three new tracks. With the contents of the album being recorded and gradually released over the past three years,…
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Japan is a nation well known for its far-reaching history and passion for keeping culture and traditions alive. From the ancient tea houses of Kyoto to the quaint building styles of Gifu’s Shirakawago, you can practically read the history of the nation through its architecture and city design. One of the more elusive forms of…
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Sydney’s hotel restaurants are boring. Maybe that was a bit too definitive. Let’s just say, Sydney hotel restaurants are, for the most part, unmemorable. At least when compared to standard-pushing cities like Tokyo and New York City. Although, I’ve never eaten at a Chicago, San Fran or L.A. hotel restaurant that inspired much enthusiasm either….
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Now in its eighth year, The Stella Prize is the latest award to announce its 2021 longlist. Named for celebrated author Miles Franklin, prize’s goal is to address gender imbalances in Australian literary awards, and to celebrate the work of the country’s finest female and non-binary writers. Over 160 entries were whittled down to just…
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Bravely Default 2 is a long, bland parade of JRPG cliches, presenting one after another for 50 consecutive hours. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before From the moment its protagonist awakens on an unfamiliar beach, suffering amnesia, the groans and eye rolls began in earnest. Things do not improve from there. You are…
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Nintendo is allegedly preparing to reveal a new model of its Nintendo Switch hardware. The new Nintendo Switch will feature a larger Samsung OLED display capable of outputting 4K ultra-high definition visuals when docked. The news comes from a new Bloomberg report which claims Nintendo is looking to reveal the new model, banking on the…
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The opening of Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland opens with a sobering statistic. In Nevada, a small town – Empire – has essentially become a ghost town due to the local Gypsum plant closing down amid the recession. The Empire residents, most of whom lived in company-owned homes, had to vacate in masses, deactivating the town’s zip…
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As we announced last week, Sony’s #PlayAtHome initiative returns this month, and kicking things off is the 2016 release Ratchet & Clank. If you remember #PlayAtHome from last year, this means the game is completely free for everyone! And it’s available right now. You don’t need a subscription to Playstation Plus to enjoy this free…
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Melbourne-based trio Brixton Alley may be exploring new territory, but they’re shredding up a storm. Relocating to Australia from the UK in 2020, the indie-punk band got the chance to play at some of Australia’s hottest venues, before being plunged into lockdown. Like most artists, lockdown gave the trio a chance to focus on their sound…
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After taking this year off, The 45th Port Fairy Folk Festival is set for 2022, and the first round of artists has just been announced. Celebrating in the music-loving coastal village in Victoria from 11th-14th March, a mix of home-grown talent and folk stars from around the world will be on show. Audiences can expect…
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Kira Navárez is a xenobiologist working as part of a team of scientists who survey planets before they are colonised. All her life she’s dreamed of first contact with an alien race but when, on a routine survey mission, Kira makes the discovery of a lifetime, things don’t turn out at all the way she…
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Raya and the Last Dragon is set in a fantasy world called Kumandra; which was once inhabited by both humans and dragons in a harmonious existence. But, that peace comes under imminent danger when malevolent monsters known as the Druun make their presence known. To stave off the threat and save humanity, the dragons perform…
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Chicago native Alexander 23 has released his second EP Oh No, Not Again! tracking the “cycle” of a relationship from yearning to falling in love, breaking up to recovery. His universally honest and easily accessible lyricism has him blowing up online, with his track “IDK You Yet” capturing the hearts of TikTokers and sending him…
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Genesis Owusu is an artist in control. Taking a few years to get here, his debut album Smiling With No Teeth showcases an artist well and truly ready to breakdown barriers and take the world on, fifteen tracks at a time. A lengthy debut, Smiling With No Teeth is the sign of an artist not…
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Bluesfest is on for 2021, the first multi-day, multi-stage camping festival to be held in the world since the beginning of Covid-19. Running from April 1st-5th at the idyllic Byron Events Farm (formerly the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm), the festival will be a smaller affair than we’re used to – only 3 stages – but…
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