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Los Angeles Times
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
The 11 most monstrous moments from Lady Gaga's Mayhem Ball at the Forum
Three months after her headlining appearance at this year's Coachella festival, Lady Gaga is on the road with an expanded version of the haunted-opera-house spectacular she brought to the desert just after the release of her latest album, 'Mayhem.' I caught Monday's show at Inglewood's Kia Forum, the first of four through Saturday for the 39-year-old pop superstar, and though I can't say I have any firmer of a grasp on the story she's telling — something about the two halves of a vicious yet empathetic queen? — her commitment to the beauty and the gore of the bit remains steadfast. Here are 11 of the most memorable moments from Night 1 of Mother Monster's stay in L.A. 1. As she did at Coachella, Lady Gaga opened Monday's gig with the one-two punch of 'Bloody Mary' into 'Abracadabra' while stationed in an enormous red hoop skirt that turned out (à la Mother Ginger from 'The Nutcracker') to conceal a troupe of dancers beneath its folds. It says something about Gaga's creative gumption that such an enthusiastic mover would opt to start this production with use of only the upper half of her body; it says something about her expressive ability — as both a singer and a puller of faces — that she didn't seem particularly constrained by the costume. 2. Ditto the thrashing electro-punk 'Perfect Celebrity,' which she performed as she lay on her back, half-buried in a sandbox and dry-humping a skeleton. 3. As far as I could tell, no one from California's congressional delegation took in the festivities at the Forum as former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi did last week — from a floor seat, no less — when Gaga played San Francisco's Chase Center. ('The most fun I've had in a long time,' Pelosi wrote on X in response to a Pop Crave post noting her attendance.) In their place, though, were a handful of admiring pop stars, including Olivia Rodrigo, Matty Healy of the 1975 and Chappell Roan, the last of whom was seen in the house belting along to 'Born This Way.' 4. For 'Paparazzi,' Gaga wore a chrome helmet and hobbled down a long runway using a pair of chrome crutches, the train of her dress billowing heroically behind her. In a show full of detailed tableaux, this was perhaps the most striking. 5. Say this for Lady Gaga: Even as her pop ambitions have grown, she's never made much of an attempt to retcon her beginnings as a horny New York City theater kid. Among the songs she's added to the Mayhem Ball since Coachella are the endearingly goofy 'LoveGame,' with its single-entendre lyric about wanting to ride somebody's disco stick, and her breakout single, 'Just Dance,' which she's still introducing — 16 years after it shimmied to No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 — with a shout-out to her former producer RedOne. 6. When the singer announced this tour in March, she framed her decision to play arenas instead of stadiums as an artistic decision — the product of her desire to do something 'more intimate' than the 2022 Chromatica Ball that stopped at Dodger Stadium. Often, the 'I' word is a pop star's way of managing expectations. Yet here she actually did attain a sweaty sense of connection in another oldie, 'Summerboy,' which she sang while slashing at an electric guitar as half-dressed dancers writhed around her under a bank of clubby red lights. 7. 'Mayhem's' sweet spot comes in the middle of the album with a string of funky '80s-throwback jams — 'Killah' into 'Zombieboy' into 'LoveDrug' — that Gaga delivered onstage in an ornate Cruella de Vil getup. A nagging question, though: Why hasn't she released one of these tunes as a single? Sure, 'Abracadabra' (which dropped in February) still turns up pretty frequently on the radio. And Gaga and Bruno Mars' 'Die With A Smile' will probably never leave the airwaves. But the lack of a big push for any of 'Mayhem's' remaining Top 40 candidates feels like a weird choice for an LP as stacked as this one. 8. Gaga's country power ballad 'Million Reasons' remade as a creepy church-organ processional? Yes, please. 9. That long runway became a short river for 'Shallow,' which Gaga performed (in a moody new electro-goth arrangement) as a swooning damsel on a gondola cutting through foggy waters. Big Christine Daaé energy. 10. Having soaked up a full minute's worth of applause after 'Die With A Smile,' Gaga let the place quiet down so that she could give a little speech. 'Before the show tonight, I had a chat with everybody backstage,' she told the crowd. 'I was like, 'It's Monday — I don't know what's gonna happen.' You all f—ing showed me. You came out here blazing, ready to go. L.A. has been a real interesting place in my life, because I grew up in New York City. I grew up in New York, and I moved out here when I was like 19 years old. And it was not always easy. I just want to say thank you for everybody in this room tonight. People didn't always believe in me out here — you believed in me so much tonight. Thank you. You were always there for me. 'I come out here every night, and I always promise myself I'm gonna be really strong during this part, and I always lose it because I don't know how to say thank you in enough ways,' she continued. 'Think it always just felt easier for me to put it in a song. But community — my community, this community, our community — they're there for you even when it's tough and when you're at your lowest. That's why it's so special, 'cause you don't gotta be on top for your community to love you. They will always love you. 'I hope you know everywhere around the world that I go, I will try to give every drop of my passion to the audience. Inspired by all of you that when I come out here, and I see all that passion and all that love you have for me and for each other, it really makes me feel something so special. I hope that all year and all summer, that you feel my love. I'll see you in 20 more years. I'll just keep coming back — is that OK?' After the speech, the singer dedicated 'Vanish Into You' to two of her nieces who'd come to the show. 'They said this was their favorite song,' she said. 'I always dedicate this to the fans. Will you share it with them tonight?' 11. Gaga began her encore with what felt like a callback to that great scene in 'A Star Is Born' where she and Bradley Cooper meet for the first time in a dressing room as she's removing her electrical-tape eyebrows. Here she turned up on a giant video screen, singing 'How Bad Do U Want Me' while rubbing makeup from her face backstage before making her way through a behind-the-scenes labyrinth to appear in the flesh once more before us.
The Age
15 hours ago
- Health
- The Age
French fries that work like Ozempic: The push to make medicine you can eat
'It's about 100 or so times more potent than gabapentin, which is the clinically used drug for neuropathic pain,' Craik, from UQ's Institute for Molecular Bioscience, said. His team then genetically tweaked mustard plants to produce the venom-derived cyclotide. 'Those seeds are tiny, the size of a pinhead, so they're never going to be enough to be therapeutic. But we'd be interested in putting it into something bigger … peanuts or chickpeas.' Craik's team has also crafted cherry tomatoes that contain a cyclopeptide going through clinical trials in Sweden as an experimental treatment for multiple sclerosis symptoms. It's very hard for a new drug to make it through the clinical trial process, and many promising candidates falter. But if the peptide proves effective, Craik can imagine people with multiple sclerosis eating a Greek salad or sipping a Bloody Mary made with the tomatoes and feeling their symptoms ease. The ARC grant and partnership will also explore a cholesterol-reducing drug that could be spliced into vegetables, as well as a peptide that targets an appetite receptor and induces fullness. Craik said it could serve as an alternative to Ozempic. Loading 'My dream would be to put that into potatoes so that you could have your McDonald's French fries and not worry about obesity.' These products, at this stage, are hypothetical. One of the research goals is to have a food product ready for trials by the end of the three-year grant. It's also unclear which regulatory jurisdiction the products would fall under. Whether they're considered nutraceuticals, medicines, or genetically modified foods will dictate which bodies need to be involved before they're grown and sold commercially, such as the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator. 'We're hoping, to start with, that they will fall under a nutraceutical, where it's a very light dose, and you'd have to eat tonnes of product to get anywhere dangerous,' said Phyllome chief executive Sebastien Eckersley-Maslin. Phyllome grows packaged vegetables such as spinach and rocket in automated 'plant factories'. Robots whizz around the indoor vertical farm in inner Sydney's Alexandria and take a photo of plants every hour, analysing the crops with AI, and harvest them when they're ready. 'In essence, our entire farm here has zero human interaction, from sowing through to picking bags off the back of a packager,' Eckersley-Maslin said. 'Everything in the middle is automated by robots.' The partnership will first focus on growing peptides aimed at pain relief, cholesterol management and appetite suppression in the native tobacco plant Nicotiana benthamiana. The tobacco plants can't be eaten, but work as natural 'bio-factories' to produce the target peptides, which can be extracted from the plant's leaves. Loading The plants were discovered near Wolf Creek in Western Australia, of Hollywood horror fame, and proved useful because they have weak immune systems, which makes it easier to insert the genes that code for the production of cyclotides. The next stage of the research will work on making the same genetic tweaks in plants that produce food. Said Craik: 'It's sort of, if you like, going back 3000 years to Hippocrates, who said, 'Let food be thy medicine'.'
Sydney Morning Herald
15 hours ago
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
French fries that work like Ozempic: The push to make medicine you can eat
'It's about 100 or so times more potent than gabapentin, which is the clinically used drug for neuropathic pain,' Craik, from UQ's Institute for Molecular Bioscience, said. His team then genetically tweaked mustard plants to produce the venom-derived cyclotide. 'Those seeds are tiny, the size of a pinhead, so they're never going to be enough to be therapeutic. But we'd be interested in putting it into something bigger … peanuts or chickpeas.' Craik's team has also crafted cherry tomatoes that contain a cyclopeptide going through clinical trials in Sweden as an experimental treatment for multiple sclerosis symptoms. It's very hard for a new drug to make it through the clinical trial process, and many promising candidates falter. But if the peptide proves effective, Craik can imagine people with multiple sclerosis eating a Greek salad or sipping a Bloody Mary made with the tomatoes and feeling their symptoms ease. The ARC grant and partnership will also explore a cholesterol-reducing drug that could be spliced into vegetables, as well as a peptide that targets an appetite receptor and induces fullness. Craik said it could serve as an alternative to Ozempic. Loading 'My dream would be to put that into potatoes so that you could have your McDonald's French fries and not worry about obesity.' These products, at this stage, are hypothetical. One of the research goals is to have a food product ready for trials by the end of the three-year grant. It's also unclear which regulatory jurisdiction the products would fall under. Whether they're considered nutraceuticals, medicines, or genetically modified foods will dictate which bodies need to be involved before they're grown and sold commercially, such as the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator. 'We're hoping, to start with, that they will fall under a nutraceutical, where it's a very light dose, and you'd have to eat tonnes of product to get anywhere dangerous,' said Phyllome chief executive Sebastien Eckersley-Maslin. Phyllome grows packaged vegetables such as spinach and rocket in automated 'plant factories'. Robots whizz around the indoor vertical farm in inner Sydney's Alexandria and take a photo of plants every hour, analysing the crops with AI, and harvest them when they're ready. 'In essence, our entire farm here has zero human interaction, from sowing through to picking bags off the back of a packager,' Eckersley-Maslin said. 'Everything in the middle is automated by robots.' The partnership will first focus on growing peptides aimed at pain relief, cholesterol management and appetite suppression in the native tobacco plant Nicotiana benthamiana. The tobacco plants can't be eaten, but work as natural 'bio-factories' to produce the target peptides, which can be extracted from the plant's leaves. Loading The plants were discovered near Wolf Creek in Western Australia, of Hollywood horror fame, and proved useful because they have weak immune systems, which makes it easier to insert the genes that code for the production of cyclotides. The next stage of the research will work on making the same genetic tweaks in plants that produce food. Said Craik: 'It's sort of, if you like, going back 3000 years to Hippocrates, who said, 'Let food be thy medicine'.'
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Telegraph
The 10 best brunches in Bristol
Brunch – that mid-morning mash-up of breakfast and lunch – may have Victorian origins but the rise of the 'bottomless brunch' gave it a further kickstart. And what better way to begin a weekend (or assuage a hangover) than with Turkish eggs, stacks of pancakes or a leisurely fry-up, accompanied, perhaps, by a Bloody Mary? Bristol has a terrific variety of places to sate the weekend (or weekday) appetite and here we offer everything from brunch 1950s American diner-style to a café that resembles a luxuriant garden and another in a Victorian arcade – how appropriate. All our recommendations below have been hand selected and tested by our resident destination expert. Find out more below or for further inspiration see our guides to the city's best hotels, restaurants, nightlife and things to do. FED The most eye-catching feature of FED on Gloucester Road is the Instagram-worthy counter display with a gorgeous – decadent even – selection of cakes, pastries and over-filled brioche buns. Try and bag a table in the small, pretty, brick-walled garden as you peruse a breakfast/brunch menu that includes Cacklebean eggs on sourdough with streaky bacon, or the eggy Fed loaf with poached egg and tomato, accompanied by a refreshing blueberry ginger smoothie. If you've got room go for a slice of Guinness cake. The Lounge You'll find the 'Lounges' brand dotted around the country and (and there are others in Bristol), but this is the original and has the feeling of a proper local restaurant and bar. It's a simple and engaging concept with the interior (three rooms) dominated by an array of oil paintings. Sit at one of the colourful tables and sink into the good value, all-day brunch – maybe the Miami, or the popular Lounge breakfast (which is popular late at night too). The Garden at Easton What a treat this is – tucking into brunch seated in a café that's akin to a mini Kew Gardens. Calming, rustic and very green (a gardener tends the plants every day), there's a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern vibe here and a menu that includes Turkish eggs, French toast with streaky bacon and savoury Japanese pancakes; good cocktails too and tea is served in a fancy glass teapot. Grab a table upstairs, or sit at one of the outside window seats. There's also sister restaurant The Bristolian in Montpelier (Picton Street). Mollie's On the outskirts of Bristol at Cribbs Causeway (and its shopping mall), Mollie's Motel and Diner is part of the Soho Group and its take on an American classic. The retro 1950s-style diner with its booths and counter seating, black and white tiled floor is a treat – and with smiley and helpful service too. The steak and eggs is a definite brunch option as is the buttermilk pancake stack, but look out too for an ace hot dog. Cafe Napolita Unfussy and family run, Cafe Napolita is a hugely popular go-to Italian brunch spot in cosmopolitan St Werburghs. Simple and fairly unadorned inside, although the turquoise chairs add a splash of colour as do the bright paintings (which are for sale). The full English is very popular, but note too the hearty breakfast hash (with chorizo, peppers and chilli) and the honey berry pancakes with the honey sourced from Kurdistan; the various Sicilian cannoli are recommended. Crafty Egg The website suggests the Crafty Egg is an 'all-day hideaway' and it's hard to disagree as this is somewhere to hunker down. The pink cherry blossom hanging over the tiled bar is an eye-catcher and enhances the feminine tone; books on the shelves are there to browse should you need. On the eclectic menu, the Large Meat Crafty is one for the truly hungry, while the Afghan eggs (cooked in a skillet) is a local favourite. Burra Stylish, Antipodean-themed café with an upmarket feel, in keeping with the surrounding area. The refreshing design is enhanced by wooden flooring and white walls, aside from the colourful bird mural – Burra is a play on kookaburra and borough. The ricotta and eggs and shakshuka are among the menu highlights, and the various breakfast/brunch 'buns' are a treat as are the pastries and the cakes. You can even buy a Burra t-shirt here should you wish. Cosy Club Fancy taking your eggs and bacon in a neo-Palladian former banking hall? Then the grandstanding Corn Street incarnation of the Cosy brand is the place to be, with its long, saloon-style bar, leather seating, marble and wood flooring, glass roof domes and frescoes. You'll need to book at weekends, though; the Garden Brunch (vegetarian) and the punchy Butcher's Brunch are both available until 4pm every day. Primrose Café At the entrance to Clifton Arcade (a beautiful Victorian shopping mall), this sun-trap café has evolved over 30-plus years to be one of Bristol's most favoured spots. Grab a table outside (opposite a fruit stall) or head on to the pretty upstairs terrace. They do a must-have weekend brunch with a wide variety of dishes from a Scandi open (smoked salmon-based) to a Pan Catalan and that English brunch staple, kedgeree. Chez Marcel Small, very authentic and good value, Chez Marcel serves up brunch French-style with its tip-top crêpes. It's got character too from its red frontage and chalkboard menu to the brick-walled interior and wooden tables and chairs. Choose a table outside and pick one of the local favourites: La Complete or La Farick (with smoked sausage) and if you've room one of their sumptuous sweet pancakes, and definitely order a glass of Breton cider. How we choose Every restaurant in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who has visited to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets, from neighbourhood favourites to Michelin-starred restaurants – to best suit every type of traveller's taste – and consider the food, service, best tables, atmosphere and price in our recommendations. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest opening and provide up to date recommendations. About our expert Simon Horsford I'm a regular visitor to Bristol, drawn by its maverick way of thinking, its enviable restaurant scene and range of attractions from museums and markets to, in particular, its music.
LeMonde
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- LeMonde
Harry's Bar: A taste of America in Paris
The Bloody Mary was invented here in 1921. George Gershwin is said to have composed the first chords of An American in Paris at this very bar. Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner were all regulars. Harry's New York Bar has been − and remains − the gathering place for Americans in Paris. The first cocktail bar in Europe, it has only about 20 tables and 15 seats at the bar, but its reputation is global, and it stands as an enduring shrine to the classics. Its history is far from ordinary. Founded in 1911 by former jockey Tod Sloan, the establishment rose from the ashes of a Manhattan bar owned by his friend, a certain Clancy. Prohibition had not yet been enacted in the United States, but the two companions could sense the winds about to change. Sloan convinced Clancy to sell him the business and to dismantle it piece by piece – swinging doors, mahogany bar, wooden paneling – and ship it all to Paris. The New York Bar, as it was originally called, found a new home between the Opéra and the Ritz, at 5 Rue Daunou, an address now well known to cocktail enthusiasts from around the world.
