Category: LIFESTYLE

You can now drink pink gin without the guilt

Pink gin

Greenall’s Wild Berry Gin is summer and now, you can do it without the guilt of thinking you’re drinking too much sugar. With no added sugar, it’s flavoured gin with a difference. Yes, this is not your regular pink gin.     It’s taken inspiration from the romantic English countryside hedgerows, combining plump blackberries and wild Scottish raspberries with Greenall’s Original London Dry Gin. The new batch is a twist on the classic gin experience, as its fruitier flavour has appeal for even the most juniper-averse drinkers. The juicy drop has a silky-smooth opening, that develops into a rich camphor and citrus taste, with an underlying fruity touch.   And yeah, that’s all well and good, but what do you do with it? Make your very own Greenall’s wild berry and flora dora cocktail, of course. Ingredients: 40ml Greenall’s Wild Berry Gin 20ml fresh lime juice 10ml raspberry syrup Ginger beer Method: Build all ingredients in a highball glass over ice Stir and serve.

Melbourne: The Prince Public Bar is open again

Prince bar

Late nights, Sunday mornings, bayside debauchery and live music shenanigans are back at the gateway to the southeast: The Prince Public Bar. St Kilda’s legendary local Prince Public Bar is calling first drinks again with the legendary pad flaunting a new look since closing in April to undergo a major overhaul. Remodelled by IF Architecture’s Iva Foschia, a long-time collaborator of the corner locale, the new design pays homage to its Art Deco heritage reimagined through a modern lens. The entire ground floor has been opened up to create light, roomy spaces, with an internal staircase allowing a more free-flowing connection to the hotel lobby and Prince Dining Room. At the heart of the venue is a large oval island bar, reinstated to its original orientation and grandeur. With breakfast-to-lunch at the hands of Chef Dan Cooper’s approachable, seasonal menu, there’s no reason to not check him out at the Prince website.

London: Freddie Mercury's kimono is coming to the V&A

Kimono

It was 2018 that saw the release of Bohemian Rhapsody, the movie of band Queen and its larger-than-life lead man, Freddie Mercury. And now in 2020, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London is bringing him back again by putting his famed kimono on display as part of a larger exhibition. The major fashion exhibition, Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk will open this month on 29 February and bring to the public an array of kimonos, the ultimate symbol of Japan. Why Freddie’s, though? In the mid-1970s he sometimes wore boldly patterned kimono onstage, challenging the norms of gender and sexuality. This personal kimono however is more delicate in its design and overtly feminine, revealing that gender fluidity extended to his private life. For more about the exhibition and to score your tickets, head to the V&A website.

Sydney Mardi Gras: Fair Day is back and it's gay

Fair Day 1

Get your tongues ready for poppin’, fans ready for sashaying and deaths ready for droppin’; Sydney’s Fair Day is back for Mardi Gras. At Victoria Park, as per usual, Fair Day will overtake the green to the tune of over 80,000 LGBTIQ people and their friends. The stage is set to host Jess B, Jamarz On Marz, Jamaica Moana and Hoodzy, electric live sets from Ngaiire, Bec Sandridge, Architects Of Sound and Huntly, show stopping drag performances by Felicia Foxx, plus sets from beloved community DJs Division 4, Danielle Rizk and Victoria Anthony, hosted by Faustina Agolley, so get excited. Bring your dog, bring your gaggle, bring your colour and celebrate inclusivity and diversity. It’s on 16 February from 10am-9pm. See more here.

There's a new way to drink: the Leakproof water bottle

Leakproof 1

Summer in the UK might be over, but just because the sun’s hidden for the next bit, doesn’t mean the need to keep on top of your outdoor health has gone away, right? Running around a city like London takes a lot out of you. So hydration’s key. Which is why the likes of Leakproof is a must. Their latest drop, the ION8 Leakproof Water Bottle helps to keep just so, with up to 500ml capacity. It makes for a gym, fitness and outdoor water buddy, and just life in general. Also, with a soft touch frosted exterior, its scratch resistance makes it super practical for exploring and those busy working dads on the go. Open at just the touch of a button, the flip top effortlessly springs open with a single push, meanwhile the added lid lock follows clicking reassuringly into place – 100% leak proof, 100% of the time! Check it – and the whole range – out at the Leakproof website.

Lumas does street art: Haring and Basquiat join what's on offer

Lumas art

Lumas Australia have stepped it up a bit, putting on new additions by established and emerging new artists, amongst them Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose works are being exhibited at the National Gallery Victoria later this year. Why? Well, their decision’s inspired by responses to the urban street culture of the 1980s, Haring and Basquiat are celebrated for the social commentary their artworks provided for their time. And now, LUMAS galleries are known for their edition pieces by Pop Art icons including Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol, alongside some of the 20th century’s most classic artworks at a fraction of the cost. Think colour, compositions of movement, energy, excitement and street culture, all combined into the canvases that live on the gallery walls. Oh, not to mention Damien Hirst being added to their portfolio. In his medical and pharmaceutical inspired series “The Cure”, the soft pastel colours and uniform patterns of coloured pills are contrasted against the subject of individual control. Hirsts’ intriguing and colourful art is ambivalent, revolving around a central focal point in his thinking: managing to give death a smile by celebrating life through his art. It’s all worth a look. Head to Lumas in Australia or their website.

Love art? LUMAS has the tips to start your own collection

Art

From Melbourne to London and Sydney, there’s absolutely no shortage of access to art. Regardless of your flavour and personal preference, what speaks to you and what you simply like the look of, from National Galleries to local activations like Lumas in Australia there’s enough to choose from. In fact, for those of us who’re more inclined to collect than simply to view, there’s a right way to go about it. We spoke to the art legends at Lumas to decipher just how to get it done. 1. Learn what you like With so many different styles of art out there, it’s important to firstly establish what you like and what moves you. Start by visiting art galleries without the intention of buying, to get a sense of your tastes and preferences. 2. Set a budget and start small However enthusiastic you may be about a certain artwork, ensuring that you set and stick to a budget will keep you on track. Typically, first-time buyers will start with something small and build the collection from there. Works on paper, such as the photography and limited edition prints available at LUMAS are a great place to start as these are more affordable than canvas. Limited edition prints are also less risky and smaller editions create rarity. 3. Stay true to your tastes This means acknowledging that you like certain types of art, whether or not you are supposed to or what seems to be a current trend. Trends change, very fast. Your personal tastes will be… Read More

Time to limber up, bitches: Sissy Ball is dipping into Enmore this Sydney Mardi Gras

VogueBall website

Category is: Whatever you fucking want! Back, more bold and fierce than ever, Australia’s pre-eminent vogue ball, Sissy Ball is returning for the 2020 Sydney Mardi Gras. It came, it saw, it served cunt; and this year’s she’s back again, 22 Feb at Enmore Theatre. The Sissy Ball’s all about self-expression, identity, fluidity and finesse and this year’s event is set to showcase the Asia Pacific’s ballroom scene featuring legendary house battles, live music, DJs and phenomenal performing artists. Houses and individual entrants will vogue off for the chance to win Sissy Ball’s seven coveted category titles. On the local front, competing houses include House of Slé, led by house mother Bhenji Ra. Slé’s members include Western Sydney-based artists with cultural and urban skill sets, all belonging to the greater Asia Pacific diaspora. They walk alongside House of Silky, one of Oceania’s leading kiki vogue houses, Melbourne’s original House of Dévine, House of IMAN, headed by house mother Jaycee Baybee, as well as New Zealand based House AITU, plus up-and-coming stars of the local ballroom scene. Categories and more to be announced soon – keep an eye out! Get in quick, third release tickets are on sale now and selling fast!

Melbourne: Comedy Festival gold in Sri Lankan Fireteam – The Power of Song

Sri Lankan Fire Team

An “elite” team of firefighters, assembled from across the globe, come to what was once known as the peaceful island of Sri Lanka, to counter an arson epidemic which has brought the nation to its knees. Timely given what Victoria and New South Wales are going through at the moment with the Australian bushfires raging, it’s an off-beat comedy with on-beat tunes and fiery social commentary. Cast by an entirely Southeast Asian collective, the production is an unveiling all of the firefighting industry’s most mysterious secrets along the way. But the most searing hot secret they’ll be discovering? The power of song. Be prepared for a night of off-beat comedy, on-beat tunes, and fiery social commentary. Sri Lankan Fireteam: The Power of Song opens on the 23rd of March and runs for 7 nights atThe Butterfly Club, during the 2020 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Bookings recommended.

Pride Melbourne: Midsumma turned up the rainbow in St Kilda

Midsumma Melbourne Pride

Twenty-five years on and with nothing but the joy and campness of what it is to be LBGTIQ in the 21st century to fuel it, Pride is overtaking Melbourne again. With the annual Pride March heading down Fitzroy Street to Catani Gardens, over 10,500 people are expected to march with spectators and crowds expected to reach over 45,000. With all the regulars like Dykes on Bikes, and the march being lead by Boon Wurrung Elders and a Rainbow Aboriginal Float, it’s an inclusive celebration of equality that you want to be apart of. Find it all on 2 February from 11am – 4pm at Catani Gardens for the Summa Pride Stage hosting performances by Laura Imbruglia, DJ Semi Precious and Porpoise Spit, food and beverages and plenty of entertainment. Find out more at Midsumma.