Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre have toured the abandonded buildings in Detroit, documenting them in all of their spooky wonder. The pictures are a sad spooky insight into a decaying city. link.

We've just received stock from Chip Chop including totes and their awesome watermellon clutches.

what if we striped back branding from products and just let the product speak for itself? A2591 has done just that. presenting some of our favorite brands as minimalist packages. the results are striking.

The Sweatshop celebrated the launch of the space on saturday night with a few key guests and some put put. The night was a great success and we only had a couple of uninvited guests in the form of liquor licensing officers dropping by to make sure everything was kosher.


A big congrats to the twins who won the put put and took home a brand new Cloud Nine straightener, just in time for christmas!



Click Here to see the rest of the pics.

Now that the iPad is here physical magazines are scrambling to release digital versions of their publications for the device. These have been varying in quality with none that really take full advantage of its capabilities.

Rupert Murdoch is preparing an ipad only newspaper but fellow media mogul Richard Branson has beaten him to it with the release of Project Magazine.

Project is an interactive ipad magazine (i-mag? Pad-a-zine? Maga-pad? i-zine?) that uses all features of the ipad. It’s got a moving cover, you can browse entire photo galleries from an article, touch the image in a story to watch a short movie, click the pus button on the side of any page to read blog posts the writer has mused over since penning the article and there’s forums so you can join in on what everyone else is saying about it. And the ads. Oh, the ads. Static ads aren’t always great, and they’re in there, but with a touch they come to life.  

Project Magazine isn’t the first imag in the app store, but for now, it’s the best.

Check out Project magazine in the app store.

Here's a short interesting video on brewing a pure single cup coffee using the Kone.

We will be stocking australian label LUUK at The Sweatshop. LUUK (or Luke Chiswell) combines simple prints with almost tongue in cheek style. Luke also exhibits his works which you can check out here.

We just received our shipment of penny skateboards in some wild colours. Penny is an Australian company which create these exciting re-issue of the 1970's style plastic boards. These completes are so compact they can go anywhere, even fit inside your back pack. These little beauties come fully assembled ready to ride packaged in their own cardboard box, with a special viewing hole to see what colour is inside.

Emerging in the mid 1970’s, plastic injection moulded skateboards were one of the  finest & stylish skateboards out!  With its sharp turns & small surface area, they were the perfect answer to get you around town! Plus with its size it never seemed to get in the way. We are very please to announce that they are officially back!

PENNY AUSTRALIA from Penny Australia on Vimeo.

We made the goal we had set to open before December and the shop is really taking shape. The coffee is brewing and the stock is arriving, and we should have our tasty jaffles available very soon!

The Sweatshop was profiled by The Place street press:

Read the article here.

What a year it’s been. The Sweatshop has seen some amazing support this year, great events and crazy parties. We will be continuing this trend but now with a physical location. From about mid November The Sweatshop will be setting up shop on Flinders Street.

The space will encompasses everything that is right now and good. Sustainability, coffee, design, print, food, social and events. Flinders street is beating heart of Townsville and The Sweatshop is there to assist with design, coffee, food, and other.

So keep your eye on the blog, facebook, myspace or twitter to find out more.

Canberra’s favourite sons The Aston Shuffle were recently crowned the new rulers of the 2010 inthemix50 in grand style. They’re tearing up the scene and will be gracing the full moon party at magnetic island this Friday. The Sweatshop caught up with the boys to ask them a few questions.

1.Do you cringe or want to correct people when they miss-pronounce "Aston"? 
Growing up with names like Vance & Mikah i think we became immune to people mispronouncing our names.. As long as people know who we are and like our music that's all that matters to us :)

2.Congratulations on being awarded Australia's #1 DJ. Was it a surprise, or were you quietly confident? 
We were incredibly surprised, shocked even!! It was probably the worst acceptance speech in the history of acceptance speeches cause we were that shocked!!

3.How was the big night? 
The ITM50 awards night is always a great night, you get to catch up with a lot of the DJ & promoter friends you don't get to see every often.. It always ends up a lil too boozy but is very fun and memorable!!

4.The MoS Annual tour zipped past us up to Cairns then down to Hobart and back up to Mackay missing us again here in Townsville. Any chance we'll see you in our neck of the woods someday soon? Maybe to magnetic island? 
We are playing @ Magnetic Island on the 22.10.10 make sure you come along :)

5.What's the "Aston Shuffle" mean? We're picturing an old-timey dance that you have to wear suspenders for. 
its not that exciting to be honest, Its was a mash-up of the suburbs we were living in at the time!! We could lie and come up with an incredibly elaborate story, but we are good wholesome boys who don't tell fibs!!


6.How was the Coaster festival? Did you get a chance to catch up with the Cypress boys? 
No unfortunately, the dance stage was on the other side of the of the Festival grounds so no hanging out with the Cypress Crew. We did see them @ JJJ studio's the Friday before the show though, again we didn't meet them but it was awesome to be in the studio next to them :)

7.If you weren't tearing the club up, what would you both be doing? 
Mikah - Truck Driving Super Hero
Vance - Mad Scientist

Don't miss the full moon party this weekend at Magnetic this friday.

The Sweatshop visited the Rhino Bar. Were you there? Check out the pics here.

wow, what a crazy weekend! cross dressers, sexy stewardesses, hot rods, and even the pope made an appearance.

click here for more.

This awesome paste up was spotted on Ogden Street behind Flinders' Street.

Want to get behind the scenes and work alongside some of Australia’s biggest acts? Well, here’s your chance!



The Full Noise Music Festival is currently looking for an energetic team of volunteers to assist with the festival, and promotional activity in the lead up!

Think you’ve got what it takes? Visit www.fullnoisefestival.com.au and get in touch with the Full Noise team for more information.

Everyone knew it the moment they saw it. Hell, even Steve Jobs alluded to it when he was unveiling the thing. The new multitouch iPod Nano was made to be strapped to a watch band. Here it is for $US17.

OK, so there’s still the issue of having headphones plugged into your watch at all times. And the limits of the Nano’s looks-like-iOS-but-can’t-run-apps-like-iOS operating system. But these things are pretty minor when you consider that this time next week you could be wearing an IPOD as a WATCH. Imagine the look on your 2001 self’s face if you told them that in under a decade you’d be wearing one of those iPod things on your wrist. It’d be a look of incredulity. And longing!

Ok, so you’ve made the awesome decision to head to Thailand to experience the full moon party on Koh Pha Nang island and here’s your guide to surviving the non-stop party.

Firstly, don’t pack the boogeyboard bag. But seriously, it’s a tropical island so you’re really only going to your your boardshorts/bikini gear. A good rule of thumb is to buy most of what you need over there. Towels, sunnies, the ever-present  beer singlet and thongs. So wear something comfortable on the plane and get the rest when you’re there.

read the rest of the article here

click here to see the rest of the pics

Luke has sent through a delicious cocktail to sample called the Strawberry Twist. It's sweet and definitely hits the spot. only available at the Rhino Bar.

the photos are up from the weekend. keep an eye out this week for our talented photographer out and about. click here to see the pics.

photos from the weekend and Ashley Roberts gig are now up on facebook...

Ashley Roberts of The Pussycat Dolls is hitting The Consortium nightclub! See her perform live on stage Tuesday, September 7. Including world-wide hits from The Pussycat Dolls, new original tracks and live DJ set!

PLUS! Win the ultimate night out valued at over $700! Simply click "keep me updated" and register for membership (free) to be in the draw. Prize includes;

- Dinner for 2 at The Watermark

- Limousine transfers to The Consortium

- Private booth

- Party package

- 2 x VIP tickets for the concert.

Doors open from 9pm. Terms and Conditions apply. Management reserve the right to refuse entry or service.

the pictures have been added to the gallery. are you in there?

click here to see all of the pictures

Local Townsville street press Mayhem Magazine are about to launch their next issue on the 17th of September. If it's going to be anything like the last launch party it should be one you don't miss. The next issue is teased at being the "cheeky issue". what could that mean? nudity? pranks? nude pranks? who know, but entry to the launch party will get you a copy so check check the what's on page to set a reminder and pencil it into your diary.

Where: Art Spaced Inc at Dancenorth (home to Artspaced)
When: 17th September from 7pm
Entry: $10 entry which includes a copy of the latest issue of Mayhem!

Entertainment is packed in again with acts such as:
The Short List, Heath Mackay, ...Rita Neale, The Adrenalin Australia Girls, Burlesque, Dizzy magic plus more on the night!

The theme for the night is all things a bit naughty and cheeky!

There will also be a special auction of a custom made bonsai from Bonsai house and a raffle for 'crap in a box'! There is something for everyone at a Mayhem gig!!

link

Bullys is looking for a cool JCU kid to MC the ! Your skills would be required for the heats and final night of the promotion. You must also be handy with a microphone! Email marketing@bullys.net.au for more details! P.s. this is a paid gig!


link to the event

There's so many great events and nights out on at the moment its like we're spoiled for choice. We've got the race day happening right now and either the race day after party or Angus and Julia Stone tonight and then a laid back Sunday at either the Rhino Bar or the Exchange Hotel.

Next week is lining up to be a real blast from the past with the Hoodoo Guru's on Wednesday and Mental and Anything on Thursday. but if you want something a little fresher you can choose from The Dead Letter Circus and Digital Rendezvous on Saturday night.

And that's just next week. Check out the What's On page on the website for all the upcoming details.

Tix are now on sale online at http://thevenuetownsville.oztix.com.au/
Tix are $20 +BF and each ticket holder is entitled to all you can drink postmix as well. time to guzzle.
Get in quick for your these will not last long. only 1000 tix for this event.
This is an all age event.

THIS WEEK: angus and julia stone, armatures after party, unnaturally artful, ladies cocktail party, & more. check out the what's on page for details. and subscribe to out twitter feed or facebook for automatic updates.

It’s on again. Another full moon party is just around the corner. With hazy memories of kid Kenobi at the last one, we lock our scope onto the upcoming full moon downunder with special guest AJAX!

From the FMD team:

Friday 27th August see's FULL MOON DOWN UNDER return with a vengeance - bigger and badder than ever! This month's party boasts a massive double header with two notorious party starters, the prince & pied piper of party respectively, AJAX & TIMMY TRUMPET!

Get your tickets here

FULL MOON DOWN UNDER FEAT. AJAX (Sweat it Out) & TIMMY TRUMPET (LIVE) Supports from Chrissy Mac, Solman & That Ginger Guy, LuCid & DJ Shirt-less Friday 27th August, 2010 X Base Hostel, 1 Nelly Bay, Magnetic Island From 3pm 5am (14 hours of peace, love & party).

Ticketing: 1st Release Tickets - $15+BF - ON SALE NOW! 2nd Release Tickets - $20+BF

FULL MOON DOWN UNDER Launch Party saw a 1200+ strong crowd of Full Moon fanatics ignite the sands of Magnetic Island in an unprecedented celebration of peace, love and party! Superstar Dj, Kid Kenobi, christened the decks & buckets flowed as full moon revelers threw caution to the wind, lost their inhibitions & released the inner party animal. It was wild, it was loose, it was straight-up-outta-control, but most importantly it was only just the beginning. Friday 27th August sees FULL MOON DOWN UNDER return with a vengeance bigger and badder than ever! Kicking off at 3pm and raving through till the wee hours of Saturday morning, this month’s FULL MOON DOWN UNDER will feature everything you know and love about Full Moon and more buckets, fire twirlers, body painters, and a DJ double header of epic proportions!

Leading the charge on the decks this month are two of Australias most notorious party starters the prince and pied piper of party, AJAX & TIMMY TRUMPET! Ajax, Dance Legend, has been spinning sleazy, dance floor rockin electro mash-ups for more than 15 years and is a founding member of professional trashbags, the Bang Gang DJs. Crowned #1 Australian DJ two years in a row, his sexy live show has rocked more festivals and club nights than even he can remember.

As founder and head honcho of oh so hot right now electro label Sweat It Out (home to Yolanda Be Cool, D CUP, Act Yo Age and many more), Ajax is arguably Australia’s biggest DJ if you haven’t heard of him, you simply haven’t been dancing enough. Enter Timmy Trumpet, Australia’s best DJ/instrumentalist, who rose to fame as the The Stafford Brothers trusty, horn wilding sidekick a marriage that dominated festival and club sets around the country! Since then Timmy has been Trumpeting and Dj’ing around the globe from London to Ibiza to Hong Kong and everywhere in-between.

Don’t miss his Full Moon Down Under debut when he hits the decks with a live set this Month. Add an all-star local lineup of Townsville’s finest, including Chrissy Mac, Solman & That Ginger Guy, luCid & DJ Shirt-less and youve got the recipe for success... a loud, sweaty, hands-in-the-air Full Moon experience that will leave you screaming for more! So mark Friday the 27th of August in your calendar, stock up on your vitamins & get some shuteye when this month’s FULL MOON DOWN UNDER lands you’re going to need all the energy you can get!

If I said the name ‘Fatman Scoop’ you might be forgiven for scratching your head. But if I shouted “IF YOU’VE GOT A $20 BILL PUT YOUR HANDS UP” three times you’d probably nod your head along with me (full track here). 

Fatman Scoop received his stage name after appearing in the Fugees 'Killing Me Softly' video as a cinema worker serving popcorn and ice-cream. Lauryn Hill was a massive ice-cream fan herself so would shout 'scoop, scoop, fatman scoop' when she wanted a tub of her favourite snack.

He’s collaborated with massive names in the business slike Jay-z and Missy Elliot amongst others and now his boomin vocals are headed to Townsville. He’ll be here on Friday 30^th July at the Consortium and this is going to be one not to miss.

Check out the What’s On Guide for more info. 

Cheap Fakes are a seven piece band from Brisbane that are not limited by genres or styles. Predominantly steeped in off-beat guitars and catchy melodies the band combine their eclectic tastes and flavours to include funk, dub, reggae, country, rock and dance to create music that is engaging, uplifting and most importantly great to move to.

Although Cheap Fakes are relatively new to the Brisbane music scene, the individual members of the group possess years of professional performance experience. Singer/songwriter Hayden Andrews fronted Brisbane band Dubdoubt for seven years, with career credentials including two EP's and a full length album, a national distribution deal, two international tours, numerous national tours and performances at major events/festivals including Good Vibrations, Parklife, Big Day Out, Woodford Folk Festival, Island Vibe, Peats Ridge, Brisbane Festival Spiegeltent and Valley Fiesta to name a few.

The Sweatshop caught up with Hayden to chat about their recent Townsville gig.

So what's with the name? cheap fakes? is it a stab at irony?
Cheap fakes are better than the real thing! The name came from a Neil Finn song, I had the name for a few years and always wanted to call a band it, now I have that band but we are anything but cheap and fake!

You’ve been travelling around a bit lately, how's the tour going?
Tour has been great, getting really good responses everywhere we’ve been and it’s really fun to take our live show to places that haven’t been privy to the cheap fakes goodness yet, although we are getting cabin fever from the long drives in the tour van.

What’s been your favourite place to pay so far?
Byron bay was awesome, it’s always beautiful there, and the locals love some good live music, although it was quite a cold night out in the beer garden but everyone kept warm by dancing. And our farewell show in Brisbane was massive too, a lot of familiar faces and a great vibe to send us off on.

Townsville has a really great beach and an island just off the coast, will you be taking some time off to relax or is it all work when you’re up here?
We would love to but unfortunately it will be a fleeting visit to play our gig and then leave but we will be back for sure to check out the scenes.

You’re busy guys, but if you weren’t making music, what would you all be doing?
I would be a carpenter with rough hands.
Scotty (trumpet) would be a professional bull rider
Fergus (bass)would be a goat herder.
Josh (sax) would be a male stripper.
Damo (drums) would be a check out chick at Woolies.
Stephen (baritone sax) would be a real estate agent or a car salesman.
Jude (keys) would be a guru.

Complete this sentence: an apple a day…
is actually part of my daily diet and I rarely have to go to the doctor!

Their new album is out now.

Cheap Fakes

Sylvester Martinez and Johnson Peterson of Yolanda be Cool have invaded your head and echo banging tracks inside your skull until you dance yourself unconscious.

The boys burst onto the scene with their insanely catchy tune “Afro Nuts” and “We No Speak Americano”. Well, we say ‘burst onto the scene’ but they’ve always torn the club up with their hordes of loyal followers around the well known traps for a while now.

They’ve blown up faster than that doll you keep under your bed and are just about to head off on a massive European (contiki) tour. We caught up with the boys to ask them a few questions.

What have you got in store for the kids?
LOADS OF PARTY TECH

Rumor is that you might be hitting Townsville on the back of an amazing international tour – which spot are you most excited about?
WE ARE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THE TIME OFF WE WILL HAVE IN BERLIN....ONLY HEARD GOOD THINGS ABOUT THAT PLACE SO CAN'T WAIT TO CHECK IT OUT......TRY AND FIND SOME TECHNO!!!!

What’s your favorite colour?
HMMM....BLUE? RED?

You guys had a cult following already, but the airplay from We No Speak Americano has exposed you to an even bigger audience how do you feel about this and what does it mean for from here on?
WELL...IT'S BEEN GREAT TO HAVE OUR GIGS FULL SO DEF GOOD ON THAT FRONT...AND SO FAR...WE HAVE STILL PLAYED EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT AND IT HAS WORKED SO PRETTY HAPPY WITH THAT.. WE'RE TOTALLY STOKED :)

You’re busy guys, but if you weren’t making music, what would you both be doing?
HMMM.....TRYING TO??? HAHAH....

Complete this sentence: an apple a day…
IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD ALL EAT


www.myspace.com/yolandabecool
Stay tuned to THE SWEATSHOP
for upcoming tour news