Blog — Page 218 of 283

The cold evening here in Pratteln is a world away from the kind of weather Portugal’s Sinistro are used to. However, the band bring plenty of heat to their opening slot and despite seemingly missing a member, they still intrigue many here tonight. The addition of Patrícia Andrade on 2016s sludgy Semente was a stroke of genius and her dramatic style coloured by broken marionette movements only add to the spectacle that they bring to the stage. Time will tell whether they can echo the success of last year’s record but with Sangue Cássia coming out early in 2018, we won’t have long to wait.

Pallbearer’s star has been on the rise for the seven years they’ve been releasing music and it will only continue to exponentially increase as time goes on. Beginning life as a pretty standard funeral doom style band, they’ve slowly been incorporating other elements into their repertoire with synths, progressive leads and a healthy dose of emotion creating music that speaks to many here.

“Worlds Apart” begins their time on the stage in monstrous fashion and Brett Campbell’s instantly recognisable voice soars over the venue with a confidence that is soaked up by the audience. “Dancing in Madness” from this years Heartless thrills with its synth-led introduction and the clever tricks that Pallbearer use on the album in order to never repeat any section twice. It’s glorious but it’s set closer “Foreigner” that brings about the biggest response with a song that speaks to many on the sadness that is held inside when you’re feeling alone.

Having a career that has spanned nigh on thirty years is a tough task to achieve, but to get there with 80% of your original members, still be relevant and still sound as vital as you did back when you first started is a hard trick to pull off. Paradise Lost do that and much more and with Medusa receiving critical acclaim after its release a few months ago, tonight is their chance to showcase just how exciting their new music is, while also delving deep into an extensive catalogue to please the older audience that have gathered here tonight.

“From the Gallows” from Medusa sets the tone perfectly and in Nick Holmes the band have a frontman who not only has the voice, but also the command. His sense of humour is wickedly dry and while some of the jokes may be lost in translation on this Swiss crowd, they still hold each word in reverence and it’s during a beautiful rendition of “Faith Divides Us – Death Unites Us” that this is all the more obvious. Holmes’ clean vocal rings out over the vast hall and the fluid transition into the gruff, death/doom style is almost magical. It’s difficult to believe one person can move so easily from one style to another but Holmes makes it look so easy.

Old and new songs sit comfortably alongside each other and with such a huge array of songs to choose from then some may have been left disappointed. However, we do here classics such as “Tragic Idol” and “Embers Fire” as well as newer tracks like “Beneath Broken Earth” and the deliciously heavy “No Hope in Sight.”  

“The Last Time” closes out the show in all its gothic glory giving Paradise Lost enthusiasts a glimpse of the band as they were. It somehow still sounds refreshing and it surely won’t be the last time we see this legendary band.

United Cellars Champagne Tasting

Hudson House

Sydney, Australia

November 9, 2017

Alright, guilty as charged.

Me likey bubbles.

A lot.

Sparkling – be it water or wine.

Especially Champagne.

I have traveled the region of just to hit the cellar doors and more upmarket offering to indulge – guilty as charged!

Now, there are Champagne tastings and the fact that Australia’s appetite for champagne is an insatiable one.

However, it can tend to be a ponzy and showy affair.

Exit pretence and intimidation and enter United Cellars ( http://au.unitedcellars.com ), i.e. French born wine luminary Roxane Pinault and her team of connoisseurs.

“C'est le ton qui fait la chanson” and careful curation is the name of the game behind an event that caters to both the well heeled enthusiasts, long time aficionados, and first timers the chance to explore the world of Champagne on a deeper level by exploring its many hues and enabling them to make comparisons.

What United Cellars offers is an immersive, open and welcoming forum for the curious as well as the connoisseurs.

The location for this year’s Sydney event could not have been more perfect:

Beautiful vistas over Sydney’s harbour, i.e. bridge and Opera House, served as the backdrop for Champagne Houses and growers celebrating their offerings, allowing attendees to move through at their own pace while offering valuable input for tasting and making new discoveries.

A well calibrated sophisticated yet laid back delivered in an informative and unpretentious way.

The event showcased the following among others:

• Henriot
• Duval Leroy
• Delamotte
• Deutz
• Devaux
• Dom Pérignon
• Moët
• Ruinart
• Drappier
• Hattingley
• Henriot
• Jacquinot
• Jacquesson
• Krug
• Louis Roederer
• Taittinger
• Tissot
• Vilmart

Most Houses had three to six champagnes from their portfolio on offer.

Styles ranged from Non-Vintage to Vintage, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, Rosé and Prestige and with varying degrees of sweetness (Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut and some Demi-Secs).

Some offered hard-to-find gems, others the go-to champagnes that you retreat to when it doubt, with some more “exotic discoveries” sprinkled in, e.g. who would have known that the English could come up with such an enjoyable drop like Hattingley’s Valley Classic Cuvée – Hattingley being a grower-producer that I have never heard of previously.

A common thread between all of the aforementioned varieties was how well balanced they were, offering complexity or something unexpected with House representatives making genuine efforts to establish connections with the attendees.

An evening punctuated by the feeling of well-being and genuine pleasure each person exuded throughout the night, and no doubt took home with them.

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Photos by KAVV

Night Nation Run Sydney

The Doman

November 4, 2017

The Night Nation Run is the World’s first Running Music Festival.

What’s that? Well, a running event embedded in the context of a Dance festival and all the shebang that comes with it, e.g. lasers, music, etc.

A musical voyage filled with live music, lights, lasers, all framed within the context of the latest Dance Music.

The underlying idea is to eventually end up at the finish line, be it through crawling, skipping, walking, dancing  or running your way through a parkour with music serenading you along the way through an illuminated course that is paved with stages manned by performers and DJs and an afterparty waiting at the finish line.

Touring all over the world and expanding its operations in Asia and for the first time participated in this sporty / dance-y event hybrid.

Registration to the event includes a race pack comprised of the usual running staples along with everything you need to become an illuminated beacon, i.e. glowsticks, etc.

Warm-up comes in form of a pre-party with a DJ cheering on participants..

With different waves starting in a staggered manner from the start line, which again is marked by the presence of a DJ, the course of the run is made of an array of  zones dedicated to partying with live DJ’s, dancers, light-shows, activations, selfie-stations, and giveaways.

Yup, you guessed it – it’s not exactly an event if your focus is solely on running or setting a new personal best for your 5km runs.

The Sydney incarnation also offered an “after” after party at a local club, with runners being encouraged to sport running gear and carry the spirit of the run into the confines of a regular night club.

Sydney’s Domain, adjacent to the Royal Botanical Gardens, proved to be an ideal location for Night Nation Run’s first incarnation down under and judging by the enthusiasm of the participants it won’t have been the last.

With Night Nation Run supporting Stand Up To Cancer as their charity of choice , an operation created to accelerate innovative cancer research, the running shenanigans also support a good cause.

The event introduced runners to the VIVRA magnetic pouch, a more sophisticated alternative to a bum bag or arm band and ideal for when carrying a bag in impracticable yet you want to take are the bare essentials, e.g. your phone, credit card, keys and money.

The VIVRA easily attaches to the waistband of any active wear or leisure garment without the need for any belt. Made from luxurious water resistant fabric, it has four strong magnets, a reflective strip and a durable zip. Being ultra light and slim line, it can be worn on the front, back or side of your active gear – a useful accessories that will become a steady companion for future runs.

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Photos by KAVV

Miguel Migs

Café del Mar

Sydney, Australia

November 4, 2017

Café del Mar is quite a versatile venue as it serves for Sydneysiders a place to eat, drink and listen. Close to the water at Darling Harbour, and equipped with a rooftop terrace it occupies prime real estate and strikes a good balance between sophistication and a laid-back vibe.

With the way it is designed, equipped and coloured, the heritage of Café del Mar Sydney is omnipresent, i.e. the link to Mediterranean ambience with a Spanish DNA while not neglecting Australia, French and Italian tinges.

The music emitted by DJs usually runs the gamut from classic Café del Mar inspired chill-out to cool jazz, sexy deep house and their trademark nu soul with today’s limelight taken by Miguel Migs.

Having grown up Miguel Migs on a diet of his parent’s diverse record collection and emerging from the 90ies Deep House underground scene, he infuses these influences into his own sound, combining a wide range of styles, and conjuring a unique signature style – a sophisticated melting pot of sound, taking influences from rock, jazz, reggae, soul and more.

Migs did the right thing and let his music do the talking – and folks were enthusiastically entering the dialogue.

Banksia Sustainability Awards 2017

Doltone House

Sydney, Australia

November 1, 2017

The yearly Banksia Sustainability Awards recognise and reward achievements made by Australian Individuals; Community Groups; Primary and Secondary Schools; Not-for-profit organisations; Small, Medium and Large Businesses; Tertiary Institutions and Government.

This year’s awards covered a wide, diverse range to honour disruptive thinking high-quality projects, ranging from environmentally sound furniture through to beer produced to environmental and social standards: The list was eventually narrowed down to 39 finalists across 11 categories, among which are companies such as Eden, producing world-first nano-filtration devices which provide low cost, off-grid energy solutions.

Winners were announced at the awards night– a thriving hub of ideas, excitement ample opportunity of cross-pollination in the sustainability community.

Each finalist was also awarded the chance to pitch their ideas to the audience at the preceding Finalist Insights event.

The 2017 incarnation of the The Banksia Sustainability Awards cemented its status as a provider of a forum that brings together and celebrates the most innovative, effective and outstanding people contributing to improving Australia’s sustainability and elevates and encourages their ongoing involvement.

Banksia will work with award winners and finalists to investigate how these leaders and innovators have become just that. In addition, they will identify how they envisage going forward towards 2020, adopting innovative approaches to promoting sustainability in their particular areas. The Banksia White Paper concept is an extension of the Banksia Sustainability Awards program.

Having collected a wealth of knowledge over the years and having been into contact with many new initiatives, the Banksia Foundation is making use of the information gathered in the individual award categories to inform their White Paper publications, which are aimed at making this type of information accessible to the broader community and is available to the general public.

The 2017 incarnation of the The Banksia Sustainability Awards cemented its status as a provider of a forum that brings together and celebrates the most innovative, effective and outstanding people contributing to improving Australia’s sustainability and elevates and encourages their ongoing involvement.