The Bowie Project - Paris Cat Jazz Club

As a huge fan of Bowie, and a relatively new fan of Jazz as a genre - I'm still rather on the fence at times about this - I was going into this particular event with sheer excitement. I am delighted to announce I was not disappointed.

After the usual struggles with google maps and a rush to find the venue, which is blissfully hidden down a typical Melbourne lane way we stepped down into the cellar of the Paris Cat Jazz Club and were greeted with a packed out venue. The room was the right amount of intimate without feeling cramped at all. The walls are decked out in crushed velvet and the small round tables beautifully lit by a single candle lamp. The perfect atmosphere to pop my live jazz cherry!

After a dash to the bar to grab a bottle of red we promptly took our seats in a prime spot next to the piano. Nothing quite encapsulates the madness of Bowie like a Jazz Quintet covering some of the more obscure ends of the sprawling back catalogue. The Bowie Project presented an assortment of songs from the instantly recognisable to the more obscure numbers from Labyrinth. The absolute pinnacle of the set though has to be the collectives rendition of Aladdin Sane. The sprawling insanity of the song written during arguably Bowie's most artistically fascinating stage of his career and certainly the most worrying for his health, combined with the haphazard arrangement of Jazz as a genre was just perfect. 

Paris Cat Jazz Club will certainly be somewhere I frequent whilst I'm here in Melbourne, if only to sample their menu of anti pasto, pizza and cheese board (for two?! pfft!)

Victoria Markets  - Winter Night Market Launch - Melbourne

Nothing brings warmth in the winter like great food, great vibes and of course mulled wine. All of which were in an abundance at the launch of the Winter Night Markets at The Queen Victoria Markets in Melbourne. 

Some may say there was too much choice for the palette. They would be wrong. A myriad of flavour purveyors from across this fair city left you positively spoiled, and for this indecisive (potentially even greedy let's face it) girl it was a case of careful consideration. 

The allure of Sloppy Joe's and more specifically their Mac n Cheese all of a sudden made everything very clear. 

The menu was simple and offered two choices of Joe or his Mexican cousin José. Due to my inability to make both decisions and eat a regular amount of food, I roped a friend in and we got one of each and a Mac n Cheese to split. These boys treated us well, not too sloppy, hearty and flavoursome this was exactly what was needed on a particularly chilly Melbourne evening. 

Amongst the hustle and bustle of food stalls and bars are some real gems for shopping.
Boutique jewellery, clothing, and a variation of crafts are showcased here, providing fantastic opportunities to purchase yourself or loved ones that little treat we all deserve.

I couldn't resist the opportunity to get a piece of hand crafted jewellery from the girls at Aminalee. The beautiful designs are made from gemstones and crystals and are both stunning and understated. They offer the opportunity for you to customise their designs where possible by interchanging an array of heartfelt and beautiful charms. I couldn't resist the opportunity to get a birthday present for my sister, and as I explained more to them, the more they wanted to do to help me make it a really special item.

This event hits all the right notes in combining a community feeling on a large scale. By bringing local businesses under the roof of a historic landmark and legacy of the city a truly unmissable event is created. It's no mean feat to create the hubbub and vibe of a close knit community in the centre of a metropolis but the cosy camp fires, live music and diverse cinema bring together Melbournians and tourists alike. A must-do for anyone in Melbourne this winter.