MELBOURNE

Jersey Boys Australian premiere, Village Cinemas Crown

The Four Seasons seem pretty clear about their best night: “late December back in ’63, What a very special time for me, As I remember, what a night.”  At the premiere of Jersey Boys, the movie based on the wonderful stage musical, at Crown Village Cinemas on Wednesday, we had to know, what’s been the best night of your life?

“The night I got arrested in Ibiza,” Tom Winch said.  What did you get arrested for?  “I was just too crazy for Ibiza, the hotel called the police.”  Indra Grant said:  “It would have to be my year 12 valedictory.  It wasn’t because it was a momentous occasion, well it was, but it was more . . . one of my mates vomited on the principal’s shoes.  It was like, ‘Thank you, sir, and [insert vivid sound effect here]'.”  Bobby Fox, handpicked by the man himself to play the role of Frankie Valli on stage, gave an answer befitting a Jersey boy - “The night I lost my virginity.  No, you know what was pretty good, opening night of Jersey Boys in Melbourne, July 4^th, 2009, that was pretty high up.  The virginity thing I can’t talk about because I’m still emotionally scarred, but Jersey Boys opening night I’m not emotionally scarred, I’m emotionally healed.”

Saint Crispin first birthday, Collingwood

It wasn’t your everyday first birthday.  No fairy bread, no mashed apple. Instead the menu read smoked eel croquettes with saffron rouille, venison burgers with beetroot relish and foie gras parfait, and more.  Chefs Scott Pickett and Joe Grbac were celebrating their restaurant's first birthday - Saint Crispin’s birthday.

We wondered what was your most memorable birthday growing up?  “My fifth,” Pickett said.  “My birthday is a week before Christmas and all I wanted was a Pee Wee 50 motorbike, because my cousin had one.  I get up on Christmas morning, getting my big combined present, and it’s not a f---ing motorbike, it’s a push bike!  I cracked it, threw the bike out, refused to ride it, never rode it!  My mother still brings it up; the fact that she saved and bought me an awesome pushbike and I never rode it once.”

“Mine’s about a bike, too,” Grbac said.  “Coming from a big family (11 brothers and sisters) we were always handed down bikes.  I remember my 10^th birthday; my older brother’s bike broke before it got handed down to me so I got a brand new bike, a Redline BMX.  I was rapt.”

Transformers: Age of Extinction preview, IMAX Melbourne Museum

For all their powers of transformation it’s intriguing that Transformers only ever seem to change on the outside.  Try and stop Optimus Prime from explaining that they have souls, but is there an Autobot who gets smarter, or more sensitive, or more perceptive when all the wizz-bangery happens?

At the preview of Transformers: Age of Extinction at IMAX Melbourne Museum we wanted to know, would you like to transform your outside or your inside?  “My brain, I’d make it bigger, smarter, stronger,” Paul Formica said.  “I want claws - badass,” Jade Nesbitt decided, but Jesse Moran was overwhelmed.  “You could have lights coming out of your head or something,” Nesbitt suggested.  “He does poi, he does fire twirling, so something to do with that . . .”  Then Moran had it: “Maybe I could be “Light Man”, so I’d just have LED lights coming out of me.  Or maybe I could have, like, a walking stereo so I’d be like a walking music festival.  Lights and music!”

SYDNEY

Digging deep for You Can

The Sony Foundation has been ploughing away for years raising money for its youth cancer program You Can, inspired by the sad fact that adolescents and young adults with cancer have a lower survival rate in Australia than children with cancer. On Wednesday, celebrities and sporting stars,  including Justice Crew, Sally Obermeder and Adam Ashley-Cooper, donned hard hats and fluoro vests at the Prince of Wales Hospital to celebrate this hard yakka. A total of $1.5million has been donated to the hospital to build a YouCan Youth Cancer Centre for 16-25 year olds. It was followed by an appreciation evening for corporate partners at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Sony Music artist Taylor Henderson says the centre will ‘‘make a huge difference to these young patients, people my age, who are battling cancer in the prime of their lives’’. Awesome job.

Michelle Bridges breakfast

Presented with a tweet-worthy wheatgrass shot, muesli and fruit sprinkled with chia and organic linseed, as well as Michelle Bridges’ vitality greens body-boost smoothie, I knew I was not in for the usual Vegemite toast and full-fat latte (with two sugars) combo I throw down on the school run. But with the stunning backdrop at the Sailors Club, plus the first lettuce media wall I have ever encountered, I knocked back the icky green shot. Fitness empress Bridges has launched her new protein products and supplement range formulated with Blackmores. There was no sign of Commando at her side, just ex-husband and business partner Bill Moore.

#Boohoowonderland

Fashion types and celebrities including Miss Universe Australia Tegan Martin and model Simone Holtznagel hit Bondi’s Bucket List,  undeterred by Sydney’s cold snap. They got comfortable by the fire with mulled wine for a peek at boohoo.com’s spring collections. Those brave enough then strapped on skates for a spin around the Bondi Winter Magic Ice Rink.

Nova’s Red Room with Tinie Tempah

The previous night The Bucket List also played host to British rapper Tinie Tempah, who performed in his only Sydney gig for Nova’s Red Room, before touring the country. The crowd lapped up his hits for the hour-long set.

Launch of Luxury Vessel MV Epicure

Emma Lung, Karla Spetic and Naomi Robson were among those who braved the winds on the harbour on Wednesday night to launch luxury boat MV Epicure. They were treated to ceviche, mussels and Mumm champagne.

Lobo Plantation birthday bash

Sydney’s hospitality elite came out to swill and party at its top rum bar. With cocktails flowing and DJs playing Caribbean beats, the party went all night.

The Stoned Crow

Tom Burgess and Luke Jacobz partied well into the night to celebrate the third birthday of this north shore hotspot.