Category: FEATURES

Changing your drinking habits: What’s Your Story?

WhatsYourStory_HeroVisual

Over the next two weeks, Melbourne will come alive with three artwork installations that highlight one thing: the drinking culture in Melbourne is taking a shift. But, is it for you? The City of Port Phillip, City of Stonnington and City of Melbourne are all coming together this summer to highlight a fundamental shift in the way Melbourne locals approach their drinks. They hit the streets and targeted people from the ages of 18 to 24 who enjoy pubs, visit clubs and are out ’til all hours, making the most of Melbourne’s renowned nightlife. What did they find? Three poignant quotes from hundreds of people they collected stories from that really shone a light on some promising shifts in the approach we might be seeing towards drinking and drinking culture. Hot tip: it’s a healthier one. Aptly titled What’s Your Story? – see it at @whatsyourstorymelb on Insta – it formed a new campaign by the three local governments that is about asking participants a series of questions relating to their nightlife experiences in Melbourne and relaying the three core approaches to drinking culture that exist now into interactive artwork around the city. It’s all a part of VicHealth’s Alcohol Culture Change Initiative which aims to change cultures of risky drinking in Victoria. “Music is all I need” was the first of three installations to make its way to Queensbridge Square (15 February), before the other two take an even rotation to give each message a natural moment in the spotlight. It’s reflective of a culmination of quotes… Read More

Mardi Gras gives planet a shimmery glimmer of hope and goes green

Maxi Shield drag queen Mardi Gras 2

There is arguably no more a glittery or gay an event than that of the topless men, drag queens and colourful parade goers at Sydney’s annual Gay and Lesbian Mari Gras. This year though, offers something different. Revellers are trading in their sparkly rainbow stripes for something a little more eco-friendly with event organisers revealing that the major event is going green. Sydney Mardi Gras has not only committed to phasing out glitter (shock), but balloons and single-use plastic water bottles from their major events, too. When talking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Terese Casu, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras chief executive revealed, “we used to bring in about three tonnes of glitter from China.” “That goes in the gutter, it ends up in our oceans, our fish eat it, you find it in crab shells and oysters. We must be responsible and make really urgent changes,” she said. Production manager, Liz Carter, is joining the campaign helping many of the parades iconic floats “go green” by encouraging the use of LEDs, lanterns and fluorescent lights. “You have to think about the environment. Every festival has a carbon footprint and everyone has to think about that,” she said. For those looking for an equally shimmery environmentally friendly option, there are plenty of options available such as BioConfetti or Glitterazzi. See more at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras website.

Move over Tim Ho Wan, new restaurant Canton! Canton! is here

Canton asian mural

If, like most people, you thought Tim Ho Was was as gross an excuse for Chinese food as it was, then you’re about to have your day made. Canton! Canton! is taking over the old venues on Pitt and George Streets in Sydney on 18 February, bringing quality Cantonese eats to central Sydney. Inspired by the hustle and bustle of Canton’s vibrant markets, Canton! Canton! serves up home-style Cantonese dim sum and roast meats by executive chef Jackie Chan and his team of foodies. Jackie has spent the past 28 years perfecting the art of dim sum. It all comes off his experience as head dim sum chef at Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore before joining the Tim Ho Wan group in 2016. He’ll be working hard to transport guests to the capital of Guangdong and the epicentre of Cantonese culture through food. He’s drawn from the region’s rich tapestry of culture, history and tradition to form a menu that features the perfect blend of the traditional five Chinese flavours – sweet, sour, bitter, savory and salty. Check it out from 11am at  Shop GD04, 580 George Street, Sydney or see more at the group’s website.

Have brunch at the Beresford for Mardi Gras with Absolut

Absolut brunch toast

When the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras descends on Sydney, it means three things: more nudity, more drinking, less food, but better quality, at least. That’s why Absolut – who do those fabulous little gay bottles of vodka at this time of year – have again partnered with Sydney’s gay church Sunday session at the Beresford by Merivale, to put on a Mardi Gras brunch for the whole season. With brunch options for everyone (not just LGBTIQ people) on 17 and 24 February and 4 March, there’s enough of an excuse to get out and ‘be scene’, from 11-1 in February and 12-3 in March for the self titled “recovery brunch”. With standard brunch fare like eggs, bacon, hash roestis and such, it’s an all encompassing offering, but it’s the hero Absolut cocktails that really make it. Here’s the menu. Find the Beresford at 364 Bourke Street, Surry Hills.

What’s on at the Sydney Mardi Gras after party 2019

Mardi Gras after party Sydney 1

Last year, we had Cher headline the biggest LGBTIQ party in Sydney, the Mardi Gras after party. This year, we have Jake Shears from the Scissor Sisters as well as over nine other acts from literally all over the world. From Australia’s own Courtney Act – fresh off the back of her attempt at saving Australia in Eurovision – to Boris and Late Nite Tuff Guy from Berlin’s Berhain, there’s something for all kinds of party people and what they need to keep them going until the party shuts down at 8am on Sunday. The Royal Hall of Industries at Sydney’s Hordern Pavillion will be turned into a Neon Playground, a fluro-pop inspired wonderland featuring performances by International pop star Kim Petras (USA), and local legends PNAU, Courtney Act and Briefs. The DJ lineup features international DJs Toy Armada & DJ GRIND (Singapore/USA) and Kitty Glitter and local favourites Amanda Louise and Dom De Sousa. Couple with that, performances by Briefs, HANDSOME, Paul Capsis and Vogue dancing masters House of Slé featuring special guest Leiomy Maldonado who’ll join PNAU and Kim Petras. It’s going to be huge. uge enough to consider renaming the whole Pavillion to The Black Palace for this night-of-nights, becoming a seductive and decadent underground world in a heady mix of the Palace of Versailles meets Versace socked in the decadence of the underground Berlin club scene. Check out more at the Mardi Gras website.

Worth a visit: The Royal Opera House in London has been redone

Royal Opera House

Three years after the Royal Opera House in London was overhauled, it’s open and the result is exactly what you’d expect of the city’s finest arts and culture venue. It comes complete with all the bells ‘n’ whistles of the old opera house, just a lot nicer, newer and with a whole new feeling entirely its own. With inviting new entrances, extended foyers and terraces and a new café, bar and restaurant, together with an extensive programme of ticketed and free daytime events, the Royal Opera House is now open to the public every day from 10am. You’re welcome to wander in, check it out, have a coffee and take a tour, but for those die hards, there’s a full program of oeratic wonderment that is absolutely worth a ticket. See their full line-up here. The whole project was spurred on by the Linbury Theatre; a new space, which takes the spot as the West End’s newest and most intimate theatre. The new space will let The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera and other special artists all perform in the same space. Check out the Royal Opera in Covent Garden and the new space with any production at the Opera House any time. Have a look at their website.

MONA museum in Hobart: Why you need to go right fucking now

MONA Hobart

When it comes to MONA – the Museum of Old and New Art – in Hobart, there’s one thing it has plenty of: stories. Sure, there are the tales of the debaucherous parties that went on in the gallery’s earlier hey-days. The fact it’s privately owned and how and why that came to be. The stories of its political disdain; the owner’s penchant for personal gratification through a gallery hacked into the side of a mountain; it goes on. One thing is for certain, though; there’s only one story that matters, and that’s that it’s a damn good time. There’s nothing but one hell of a cultural awakening that is a far cry from what you’d expect to come out of Hobart, but 8 years prior. MONA is the art gallery that put Hobart on the map, turned up the city’s tourism quota and sits at the pinnacle of wholesome Australian experiences that can only really be found in our southernmost city. The city itself is known – if anything, for its work over the past few years alone – for quality. Quality food, wine, art, experiences, hotels, road trips, scenery, oxygen. Much like the rumours of the existence of MONA, what you can take away from a trip to Tasmania is as wide and varied, but one thing is constant: quality, stories and the whole array of it all. The gallery almost sits atop it all. Though it’s about a 20 minute trip from the centre of town – a journey easily embarked on… Read More

Sydney Philharmonia Choir presents An Intimate Evening with Brahms

Brahms conductor

The latest season of Sydney Philharmonia Choirs is on this February with An Intimate Evening with Brahms, a concert that has been stripped back to voice and piano that pays tribute to Brahms’ legacy. Opening with a short program of solo songs and duets, ahead of a full choral performance of Brahms’ acclaimed and deeply personal Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem). It’ll be a classic music lovers’ dream. Recognised as one of the world’s most beautiful choral works and the composition that brought Brahms to the world’s attention, A German Requiem was ensured widespread appreciation when Brahms’ publisher insisted that he make an arrangement for piano duet, bringing all the vocal and orchestral parts together in a version that four hands could play at home, on one instrument. So now that it’s in Sydney, it’s one of the city’s must-see events – and just after the famed Sydney Festival wound-up recently, too. Complete with special vocal treats for the die-hards; soloists Emma Pearson and Sam Roberts-Smith will be in the mix, too, pitching in to a highly anticipated and incredibly moving chamber music presentation. The concert is a one-off, so get your tickets now for $39. It’s on 7pm Friday February 8, City Recital Hall, Sydney with the Sydney Philharmonia.

Melburnian opera singers dominate the annual Mazda in the Domain, Sydney

Opera Domain 1

Their voices soar so high, you can hear them from Circular Quay. And that’s the way we like it. Sydney’s annual Opera in the Domain has been going strong for 19 years now and doesn’t show any signs of stopping. They say 30k people come to hear some of the world’s most impressive voices belt out tunes up-to 300 years old. It’s quite the spectacle. Overtaking Sydney’s famed Domain public grounds, right next to the Sydney Harbour, singers primarily from Melbourne as well as around the world like mezzo soprano Sian Pendry (Melbourne), soprano Stacey Alleaume (Melbourne), soprano Anna-Louise Cole (Melbourne), tenor Shanul Sharma (Melbourne), tenor Diego Torre (Mexico) and baritone Jose Carbo (Argentina-Australia) performed beautifully, pieces by Puccini, Bizet and Rossini and many more. It even made the first large-scale public presentation of vocal clarity for two young up-and-comers, Anna-Louise Cole and Shanul Sharma, both of whom made their big-stage debut at the Sydney event. Mazda Australia is in its 16th year of sponsoring the Opera in the Domain as their way of enriching Australia’s cultural scene. By giving back to a community that has continued to support them and their business, Mazda is happy to support something quite unique for opera and quite unique to the rest of the world, right here in Australia. “An appreciation for art in its many forms is deeply embedded in Mazda’s DNA. From world class musical spectacles to groundbreaking gallery exhibits, we pledge support to a vast range of art initiatives, to help make these culturally enriching… Read More

Brexit be damned, Eurail lets you train it to England for cheaper

Eurail France

Eurail turns 60 in 2019 and to celebrate, they’re changing how you do Europe when you next travel. By sucking up the UK, Macedonia and Lithuania into their connected rails, Eurail has cast its net far and wide for everyone who’s wanting to go from the east to the west of Europe and beyond from now on. Oh, and it’s cheaper now, too. The updates to the Eurail portfolio mean there are now three different passes that include the Greek Islands Pass which lets travellers explore up to 53 different Greek Islands. In a nutshell, the changes mean tickets are significantly reduced for Global Pass fares, new countries are accessible with a Global Pass, and if you’re old, get excited because there are extend discounts to senior travellers. For the last 60 years, EurailPasses have enabled convenient, borderless rail travel across Europe. With over 1.7million Australians travelling to Europe each year, and of those 40,000 experiencing the diversity of Europe via one of the flexible rail passes, Eurail remains as popular today as it was in 1959. Eurail train passes can be bought from eurail.com.