John is all about celebrating the best of music, arts, and culture in Australia. He's a prolific reviewer and interviewer who's always on the pulse of what's new and exciting. His reviews are in-depth and thoughtful, giving readers a sense of what to expect from live performances, albums, and festivals. John's vibe on The AU Review is one of infectious enthusiasm, passion, and dedication to showcasing the vibrant cultural landscape of Australia.
Hen (Saoirse Ronan) and Junior (Paul Mescal) are farming a remote piece of land that has been in his family for generations. The land is under drought, and globally the environment is struggling. In the middle of the night, an uninvited government agent (Aaron Pierre) shows up at their door with a surprise. Junior has…
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Ahead of their forthcoming sophomore album, Bury Me in the Garden, scheduled for release on November 23, indie family folk band Sturt Avenue have released two singles. The soul-stirring tracks “Against the World” and “Still in Love” are two quite different sounding tracks. “Against the World” is an evocative track that explores the importance of…
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WOMADelaide has today announced the first 28 artists for the 2024 festival, from 8 to 11 March – featuring Ziggy Marley (Jamaica), The Budos Band (USA), Arooj Aftab (USA/Pakistan), Gilberto Gil (Brazil) and DakhaBrakha (Ukraine). Ziggy Marley, son of iconic reggae singer Bob Marley, is set to perform in Adelaide for the first time since 2012. With a career spanning 40 years and 8 Grammys…
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Adelaide artists and producers My Chérie and UOMO have released an introspective and harmonious single, “runrunrun”. This is their second collaboration after releasing “Crush” in March 2022. UOMO is the side project from the Adelaide indie/dance duo China Roses. The song invites listeners to dive into their personal self-discovery journey while celebrating life’s quirks and…
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Ink, a play by James Graham, tells the compelling story of the first year of Rupert Murdoch’s purchase of The Sun newspaper in 1969. Initially performed in London’s West End in 2017, this performance from the University of Adelaide Theatre Guild by directors Robert Bell and Rebecca Kemp takes place in the Little Theatre, buried…
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Adelaide Film Festival (AFF) announced today the 30 participants selected to take part in AFF EXPAND Lab 2023. This intensive five-day Lab brings together some of Australia’s most creative and inventive artists, filmmakers and XR and VR practitioners in a development and commissioning process to foster new ideas for moving image artworks. The national call for Expressions of…
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Australians in Film (AiF), the Los Angeles based artist development organization, and their new presenting partner, Screen Australia, have just announced that they are adding two stand out conference sessions to the Festival line-up for SXSW Sydney 2023. Thursday 19th October: “A Spotlight on Blossom Films” Go inside the workings of Blossom Films with Australian screen…
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Lost Paradise have announced a fantastic event, Shambhala Fields at Glenworth Valley (Darkinjung Country) this New Year’s Eve. With movements, workshops, talks, first nations culture, soul sanctuary and after dark ambience, it promises a holistic experience for the mind and soul. This year’s instalment will see an array of talks and workshops spearheaded by Pottery Boy, Mimi…
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In recent news, Vietjet have announced new flight routes between Vietnam and Australia. The new routes are between Ho Chi Min City and Perth and Adelaide respectively. Both routes will commence on November 21st, with five weekly return flights from each destination. Flights to Adelaide and Perth leave Ho Chi Minh City at 6.35am on…
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The heart of the outback is set to come alive again in 2024, with the two Outback Bash Festivals announcing their all-star Australian lineups. The Birdsville Big Red Bash is set for July 2-4, 2024, and the Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash runs from August 15-17, 2024. Tickets for Birdsville go on sale at 10…
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How many of us wanted to run away with the circus when we were young? Thanks to the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA), it’s now even easier to do just that. NICA has a purpose built circus venue, which is where the two-day Australian Circus Summit will be held. It promises to inspire while…
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After sold-out shows in The USA and hometown London, Rex Orange County started the Australian leg of his Pacific tour in Adelaide. Alexander James O’Connor, as his mother calls him, released Bcos U Will Never B Free in 2015 and began his set with “Rex (Intro)” from that mixtape, seated in low red light at…
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Two exciting new UK films have just been added to the Adelaide Film Festival Program for 2023, Poor Things and Saltburn. Poor Things is by director Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, The Favorite), generating Oscar buzz after its premiere at Venice Film Festival this year. The Australian premiere is to be screened in Adelaide this October….
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Heaps Good Festival have just dropped the first lineup announcement for the New Year period and it’s a cracker. Acts include Flume, Foals, The Avalanches, SBTRKT, Basement Jaxx (DJ set), Declan McKenna, Griff, Holly Humberstone and more. After Adelaide’s incredible debut last year, Heaps Good Festival now includes Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl on New Year’s Eve…
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It’s been a busy week for Adelaide based queer performer MANE, with the release of single, EP and a tour announcement. The single, “We Run” is a tribute to her fiancé, capturing the essence of love, while embracing inclusivity. It celebrates their unwavering bond amid personal struggles, and pays tribute to the wider queer community….
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Multi-Grammy award-winning Chance the Rapper will be speaking at this year’s inaugural Sydney SXSW this October. He joins a stacked program of over 1,000 ground-breaking events and sessions on Tech and Innovation, Games, Music, Screen and Culture. Chance has won the respect of both his industry peers and former President Barack Obama, who described him…
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Indigenous Mapuché Chilean / Australian singer, producer LENI has released his debut EP Greenlights today. Produced remotely with Melbourne based engineer Gareth Thomson, the EP is a magnetic blend of alternative pop and neo-soul, reminding one of Frank Ocean and Tame Impala. The latest single, “Chasing Stars” comes from a New Year’s Eve experience, whereby…
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On 9 September (9.9), Vietjet offers travellers from Australia a fantastic opportunity to score free tickets within Vietjet’s entire domestic and international network for 24 hours, from 0:00 to 23:59 GMT +7. Millions of tickets will have AUD 0 base fare, and only corresponding taxes and surcharges will apply. Travellers simply need to visit Vietjet’s…
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Vietnam is a popular tourist destination known for its stunning landscapes, historic sites, and cultural attractions. Places like Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, and the Mekong Delta attract millions of tourists each year. Vietnam is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to…
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Adelaide’s Space Theatre has been wonderfully transformed into Emerson’s Bar and Grill. With moody dark lighting, café seating near the stage and a three-piece jazz band, the audience is transported back to the 1920s. Kym Purling plays the part of pianist Jimmy Powers, who introduces us to the band, with Victor Rounds on Double Bass…
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The Summer Dance series is back in Sydney with the announcement of Four Tet and Jyoty for the first instalment. The Summer Dance series has become a mainstay of the Sydney club scene, this year at the Entertainment Quarter. On Saturday, 30 September, Summer Dance returns with a brand new format taking you from day to…
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Junipalooza is a festival that has made a name for itself with festivals from London to Melbourne. The aim of the festival is for gin-makers to showcase their product directly to gin-lovers. The advantage of meeting the makers is learning about tasting notes, flavours and stories behind the gin making process. Last year was the…
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With a sellout crowd of 12,000 people and the world record of 6,594 dancers doing Tina Turner’s “Nutbush City Limits” for five minutes, Broken Hill’s Mundi Mundi Bash was a festival to remember. This event alone raised more than $100,000 to support the RFDS. A younger sister festival to the successful Big Red Bash near…
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Vietjet Airlines have been operating successfully within Vietnam for over a decade, with around 450 flights daily across 160 routes connecting Vietnam with other countries across Asia, and now Australia. Although marketed as a budget airline, they have an impressive safety rating of 7 stars by the world’s only safety and product rating website airlineratings.com. …
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Following on from last year’s inaugural Harvest Rock Festival in Adelaide, which saw the likes of Jack White, Angus and Julia Stone and The Black Crowes play over two days, this year’s headliners have just been announced. Get your dancing shoes ready for Jamiroquai and Beck in exclusive Australian performances as well as the funk…
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Young Henrys Brewery in Newtown are no strangers to pushing the beer flavour envelope. Their latest offering, the “Phantasmic Mr Hops” IPA beer is inspired by the Wes Anderson movie, “Fantastic Mr Fox.” Phantasmic Mr Hops is a 7% experimental IPA utilising an innovative new flavour-producing compound named Phantasm. Phantasm is a powder derived from New…
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Brisbane’s newest one-day party, Sweet Relief! is a new event taking place at Maritime Green, Northshore on September 16. Headline Dj sets from Groove Armada and The Avalanches will keep the energy levels high. As if that’s not enough, there will also be performances from Latifa Tee, Nina Las Vegas, Cut Copy, YO! Mafia and Ladyhawke….
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The inaugural SXSW Sydney has just revealed an unmissable line-up of headline speakers. Initially an annual event in Austin Texas famous for launching the careers of the likes of Billie Eilish and Uber, this year the “festival of festivals” has been expanded to Sydney, and will comprise of 1000+ events, speakers and music acts. Coachella…
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Adelaide Film Festival (AFF) has announced the return of the AFF EXPAND Lab in Adelaide from 21 – 27 October 2023 and is now inviting Expressions of Interest from Australian creative practitioners to participate in the lab. AFF EXPAND Lab is a development initiative bringing together 30 Australian visual artists, filmmakers, video artists, writers, and…
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Having shared the stage with the likes of The Kooks, Yungblud, Matt Corby, Ball Park Music and more, MANE (Paige Court) is known for her impressive live performances. She recently returned from two tours across the US, including her second SXSW in Austin, TX, as well as appearances at New Colossus Festival. It comes as no surprise…
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