Katy Hall

Long-time collaborators and legends of the Australian music scene Nick Cave and Warren Ellis are returning to Australia to bring their latest studio album, Carnage to life on stage. And now they've added a second Melbourne date on November 30, after the first sold out quick smart.  Having worked together for almost 30 years with their bands The Bad Seeds and Grinderman, Ellis and Cave are a musical duo in a league of their own, famed for their incomparable and enigmatic stage presence.  The first dedicated studio album from the pair, Carnage was recorded during Covid-19 and brought to life in the recent documentary, This Much I Know to be True. Both guttural and tender at the same time, the evocative album offers a visceral insight into love, loss, disorder and melodrama.  Performing at the historic Palais Theatre now for two nights, it's a return to the local St Kilda roots of their early years. This gig is a rare opportunity to catch the pair at their performing finest. Fans will be able to celebrate the rich and complex musical compositions and award-winning songwriting of Cave and Ellis, two of the most influential artists of our time.  Tickets for the second Palais show go on sale Monday October 10 at the official website. After more live music? Here are the best gigs happening in Melbourne this month.

Drag’s self-described clown in a gown Bianca Del Rio is making her way back to Australia, bringing her fierce one-liners and infamous “rolodex of hate” with her for her new comedy show, 'Unsanitized'.  Fresh from sell-out shows at New York’s Carnegie Hall and London’s Wembley Arena, the Rupaul’s Drag Race season 6 winner and beloved Judge Judy impersonator is set to deliver funny, fabulous and outrageous observations and throw shade in a way few comics dare throughout the national tour, tackling everything from COVID-19 to the hilarities of her own daily life.  Dubbed the “Joan Rivers of the drag world”, Del Rio is an insult comic of the highest order and is guaranteed to have you laughing so hard your face will hurt before the first act is over.  Super fans also have the option of meeting Bianca and being personally roasted by the legendary performer up close and personal as part of her meet-and-greet package, a true honour for any stan.   Find out more about Biana Del Rio’s 'Unsanitized' Tour here. 

Delve into a neoliberal dystopian future without sound through NIDA graduate Britannie Shipway’s stunning new work, Senser.  Based on the character of Ava, a third-generation resident of a world in which music has been banned and every move is tracked by Guardians, Senser asks what price a person will pay to hear songs one last time.  Despite the compliance of those around her, Ava is determined to discover the banned sounds and memories of her ancestors through a series of dangerous adventures. She's willing to risk it all to find what she is looking for while exploring the price of technological progress, morality, and the impact of abundant content creation in our modern world.  A Gumbaynggirr and Turkish woman, Shipway delivers the play as part of her 2022 Australia Council First Nations Dreaming Award and as a current resident of Theatre Works’ First Nations Initiative.  Looking for more must-see shows? Check out our round-up of the best theatre, shows and musicals happening this month.

One of Melbourne’s most iconic landmarks will transform into a nighttime wonderland of art, film, installations, lightscapes, performance, film and other interactive experiences through its latest exhibition, Interspecies and Other Others.  Interrogating elements of the human condition, relationships with nature, habitat and history, the exhibition will house multi-disciplinary works across its vast outdoor spaces, spanning its historic gardens, courtyards and the many nooks and crannies of the heritage grounds.   The nocturnal exhibition will display works from local and international artists including Abdul Abdullah, Megan Cope, Atlanta Eke and Lyndall Jones, Tony Albert, Yeo Siew Hua and Sarah-Jane Woulahan and curated by Kelli Alred. Alred describes the exhibition as an exploration of human “connectedness and the wondrous, beautiful complexity of our coexistence.”  Mark it in your diaries and wear your warmest coat, this is one not to be missed – especially because entry is free. Interspecies and Other Others is at Abbotsford Convent from August 26 to October 2.