No Money Weekend

Hey there frugal friends. Did you just buy new shoes? Because it's that time of year when you can't get by on your worn out sneakers with holes in the soles anymore because there's rain around now and the water's coming straight through to your feet? And now are you facing a problem of, no cash remaining for the long weekend and thus nowhere to show off your new kicks? Fret not, we've put together some places you can head to with only spare change in your pockets. Unless that fell out too, because you need new pants because your worn out ones have holes in the pockets. 

(Header Image: Alessandro Rugieri)

PERTH

PAVEMENT ENTERTAINMENT

Street performers are legit some of the most amazing and charismatic humans on earth and this Easter Weekend you can see some of Australia’s best buskers at the Fremantle Street Arts Festival. There are dozens of amazing street performers at this year’s festival, but I highly recommend you try and catch one of Beat The Streets entertaining dance shows. These five dudes are world-class street performers for 5 days of the week, who deliver an astounding break-dancing show that will leave wondering why you didn’t take up urban dancing. You can find them at Freo Town Hall. For lovers of chilled out acoustic music, you should try and see Central Coast duo Winterbourne strumming some soothing tunes for you. For our photography fiends – Perth photo-travel god Jarrad Seng is hosting an official ‘Instameet’ on Sunday where you can compete to capture the best performer photos and show off your snap skills. Find out more about that here.  - Charles

When & Where: Sat 4 Apr – Mon 6 Apr. Fremantle. More info and festival program here.

100% DAY WOO

 DAY WOO is having one final Sunday dance soiree at The Bakery to celebrate what has been a summer of balmy alfresco love. Featuring a strong supply of guest DJ’s and your DAY WOO hosts Toni Yotzi and Jack Doepel laying down the disco, A DAY WOO Fantasy Finale could be an exotic conclusion to your Easter weekend bender. Bring a friend, calm your soul and enjoy the dancefloor under the stars. Capacity will be very limited so don’t muck around. - Charles

When & Where: Sun 5 Apr, 5pm, The Bakery, 233 James St, Northbridge. $10 on the door. Info here.

PRAY FOR MOJO 

Who would have seen this coming - a primate-themed band playing at Mojos Bar. Cryptic. So, local psych fuzz ensemble Filthy Apes are releasing their debut EP ‘Indigovidual’ at Mojos this weekend with support from Apache, Moana and Black Stone from the Sun. Teaming up with Mitch McDonald (The Love Junkies), the EP was produced throughout 2014 and is 6 tracks of lo-fi dirty psych. You can stream some of the EP here. Only ten clams for a magical night of filthy grunge goodness. - Charles

When & Where: Sat 4 Apr, 8pm, Mojos Bar, 237 Queen Victoria St, North Fremantle. $10. More infohere.

SYDNEY

$7TH HEAVEN

Ah, Pad Thai. The great, sweet and sour comfort food that has come to be loved by Australians for decades. Easter weekend is an expensive one, and if you’re not too full from gorging yourself on chocolate that you should have saved for Sunday but inevitably didn’t, you’re gonna need lunch. If you happen to find yourself in Newtown at any lunchtime this weekend, you can find about 6 different restaurants all dishing out hefty plates of noodle based goodness for $7 bucks a pop. They often throw in freebies like drinks or sticky rice as well. - Brad Nash

When & where: Available every weekend, 11am-3:30pm. King St, Newtown. $7 

TAKE A RYDE 

West Ryde is a particularly sleepy, unsuspecting place. I once got off the train there and for a second I thought I had stumbled into some form of post-apocalyptic recreation. Upon looking down its main street however, I noticed a small building bustling with noise and activity. This building contains element 6 café, a locally owned establishment that has established itself as one of the strongholds of decent coffee in the west. Nothing beats the vibes of Saturday or Sunday morning coffee, and you’d be hard-pressed (sneaky coffee pun) to find anywhere better in the north-west.  - Brad Nash

When & Where: Open Easter Fri & Sat 7am-3pm, Sun & Mon 8am-3pm. Element6 Café, 65 Ryedale Rd, West Ryde. Coffee prices vary. 

RICKETY RACKET

Miss Peaches is probably the coolest new restaurant to hit Newtown in a naturally long line of cool restaurants that have recently hit Newtown. Let’s face it, you’re not gonna get any partying done on Good Friday, as everything closes at 10pm. On Saturday and Sunday however, it’s game on. Miss Peaches is not only dishing out Soul Food that is swiftly becoming the stuff of legend in Sydney, but on Sunday nights they bring in the locals for all the best in Bluegrass and Indie Tunes. Add that to  $12 burgers and $6 Young Henrys, and you have a good time on your hands.  - Brad Nash

When & Where: Sun Apr 5, Miss Peaches Soul Food Kitchen, 201 Missenden Road, Newtown. Free entry.

BAD EGGS 

With the Easter weekend comes the mission of finding somewhere awesome to spend Good Friday. Vic on the Park in Marrickville has you fully covered with their annual Bad Friday. With awesome bands like the LuLu Raes, Chief Havoc and FLOWERTRUCK on the bill; it’s hard to believe entry is free! This year the tradition continues with a new bunch of local talent; in the past the day played host to the likes of Kingswood, Sticky Fingers and even the Preatures. Be sure to catch these local legends before they blow up and you can no longer afford to see them live. –  Sam Garcia

When & Where: Fri 3 April, from 12pm, Vic on the Park, 2 Addison Rd, Marrickville. Free entry.

BENET & BONUS

This Easter Sunday, Strictly Vinyl 004, presented by UNDR Ctrl, is back with their all-night-vinyl-only party at Sydney basement club The Cliff Dive. Entry is free before 11pm but the festivities kick off at 9pm so it’ll be sure to pack out. With the likes of Donny Benet, Steele Bonus and Soul of Sydney DJs there, you know it’s going to go off. Lay back on the food this Easter lunch - and save some room for beverages at ol’ Cliffy. –S am Garcia

When & Where: Sun 5 April, from 9pm, The Cliff Dive, 16 Oxford St, Darlinghurst. Free entry before 11pm, $10 after. More info here.

MELBOURNE

GOOD AZ, MATE.

Kick off the Easter Long Weekend in true Australian spirit: soaking up the banter of Triple J’s Matt and Alex at Good Az Friday. The duo will be chirping away all afternoon in the Melbourne Town Hall, accompanied by a bunch of comedy legends from the Melbourne Comedy Festival. To name just a few: Paul Foot, Ursula Carlson, Alex Edelman and Nazeem Hussain. Heartthrob Vance Joy will also be in attendance, jamming out an exclusive Like a Version. The show starts at midday but doors open at 11:30, if you’re not too hung-beans get in early and grab yourself a good seat, its gonna be chock-full of laughs. – Holly. 

When & Where: Fri April 3, 12-3pm. Melbourne Town Hall, 90-120 Swanston Street, Melbourne. Free entry.

 GOIN’ TO (ART) TOWN 

This weekend Art Town will transform the Chapel Street precinct into the ultimate artist’s hub. Over 100 artists will take to the streets of South Yarra, Prahran and Windsor to do live performances of art: painting, sketching, sculpture, illustration, body art, yarn bombing, stencilling and plenty more. In their two-day occupation, these artists have been asked to create pieces that respond to the vibrancy and movement of Melbourne’s finest shopping precinct. Windsor Station, various Salvos, Prahran Market, Grattan Gardens and Design A Space are just some of the places you will find these artists hiding and practicing their work. Look twice or you might miss it! – Holly.

When & Where: Sat April 3 – Sun April 4, 11am-3pm. Chapel Street Prencinct. Free

CELEBRATING CRAFT AND VANDALISM

If you’re into your street art, this one’s for you. Craffiti is a new exhibition that reappropriates Melbourne’s vivid and diverse Street Art scene into soft, handmade sculptures. Locally renowned artist Sayraphim Lothian uses new materials to re-present to us the art we thought we knew. She displays these re-made relics next to photos of original artworks by Melbourne’s finest Street Artists. What you would regularly find hiding underneath nooks or around corners from your local haunts are now in one place at Federation Square’s Atrium. To double up on your art dosage for the afternoon, pop into Ian Potter NGV afterwards. – Holly.

When & Where:  1 – 19 April, 11am-5pm, or 12-5pm Sundays. The Atrium, Federation Square. Free.

JESUS BOOGIES

Jesus turns up from the land of the dead on Saturday, right? Or Friday? Whatever his ETA is, disco and house-loving duo Misty Nights will be preparing crowds at Boney for the aforementioned second coming. And by the second coming, we mean a long weekend of the party zone; anyone who’s enjoyed the vibes of Misty Nights can attest to that. Laila of Day Care and Kris Baha of Power Station will provide support, kicking festivities off – even if old mate Jesus doesn’t turn up. – Reb Mery

When & Where: Fri April 3, 10pm Boney, 68 Little Collins Street Melbourne. $10.

LOLS AFTER LOLS

The city’s currently abuzz with the more local and international comedians than you can poke a microphone at. As far as comedians-for-dollar value and spontaneous ‘I’m kinda boozed and want some comedy’ is concerned, the After Party at the Exford Hotel is a pretty excellent bet. The late night festival institution’s lineup constantly changes, with up-and-comers and big names alike dropping by to do a set plugging their show or working on material. One of those ‘be prepared for anything’ type shows (a good thing). – Reb Mery

When & Where: Sat April 4, 11pm, Exford Hotel, 199 Russell Street Melbourne. Free.

BIKES, BEER, CALVES, CHAMPS

Bicycle messengers are ridiculous. Truly; to see them weaving through the city’s jam-packed streets with ease and badassery it looks effortless...but fuck that. Well, the Cycle Messenger World Championships are a thing and for the first time they’re here in Melbourne. The ‘Main Race’ is happening in and around the Docklands, emulating a regular day in the life of a messenger, avoiding obstacles and weaving one’s way to deliver things. For those who like excitement, beer, food, bikes and stupidly muscled calves – this one’s a good hungover spectator activity. – Reb Mery

When & Where: Sun April 5, 11am, around the Docklands. Free.

TOUCHING THE VOID

Good Friday just got Great this year, with deep house relics VOID throwing an all day party. The guys down at Less Than Zero wanna see you cut shapes in broad daylight, so head down to South Yarra from 2pm for some good tunes from Isaac Fryar and other VOID favourites. The bar will be keeping you full with $5 VB cans, and 2 Espresso Martinis for $20 – being fancy on a budget is always welcomed. And did we mention it’s free? - Alyce

When & Where: Fri April 4, 2pm, Less Than Zero, 153 Commercial Rd, South Yarra. Free entry.

I KNOW A PLACE

Easter Sundays usually rule because you get to eat chocolate for breakfast. But if you head to I Know A Place’s Sunday Soiree, you’re guaranteed a sweet time, purely because you get to say the word ‘Soiree’ – it’s just fun. Other than that, these guys are celebrating their third successful year of Sunday fun as the warm season draws to a close. Come in for free, get yourself a nice BBQ lunch, and then check out 12 DJs in face offs all afternoon. Nice one  - Alyce

When & Where: Sun April 5, 3pm, I know A Place, Rear 451 Brunswick St, Fitzroy. Free entry.

EASTER SUNDAY WITH THE COOL CATS

The words ‘Long Weekend’ are fucking awesome, so come celebrate getting Monday off as well with the New York Cats down at the Carlton Club. These guys know exactly what you want- offering burgers, beer and House music. Done, done and done. Jack Love is heading on the decks, as well as Luke Vecchio and Mike Metro. Drink away the guilt of all those Easter eggs you stole from your little cousins. Future you can worry about the hangover - Alyce

When & Where: Sun April 5, 7pm onwards, The Carlton Club, 193 Bourke Street, Melbourne. Free entry

ADELAIDE

PARTYING LIKE ANCIENTS

Enter the void: Ancient world are approaching the Easter long weekend in style. Ancient Oasis is a 10 hour techno party running from 4pm in the afternoon to 2am in the early morning. With free entry and techno tunes being spun both in the basement and beer garden you’ve got nothing to worry about, especially considering the massive line up of Babicka & HVCK, Sleezy Jesus, Furious Frank, Mic Mills, Fishermans Friends & Milk Paste, 12” Phildo, Carter Brothers and more! Did I tell you entry is free too? Yeah get with the underground punk-ass! - Jonty Czuchwicki

When and Where: Sat April 4, Ancient World, 116a Hindley Street Adelaide. Free. Details here.

GOLDMEMBER

The Ancient World All Gold Everything party is going down on Easter Sunday, something tells me if you head to Ancient Oasis there’s a chance you may still be kicking for the beginning of this (Round 2). If you play your cards right that is. Stef, Jenna and Jemma are back behind the Decks bringing you the greatest in hip hop and R&B sounds. At $5 entry and with drinking specials all night long you’ll have to wipe that shit (chocolate) eating grin off of your face, or maybe the puke from your party shirt after this weekend! - Jonty Czuchwicki

When and Where: Sun April 5, Ancient World, 116a Hindley Street Adelaide. $5. 

SWEET HOOKUP

Apple Saturdays are a bit of an upmarket grab, especially for the cheapskates. Good thing is if you’re looking to head on in this Saturday night to catch Melbourne’s Gambit and all your favourite resident DJ’s I’ve hooked you up with the super-secret code word ‘pilerats’ which you can mention at the door to wipe $5 off of your entry. Alternatively if you don’t like to live on the edge or froth over James Bond films you can message the Apple Facebook page stating that you read this here article and they will put your name down for the cheapskate door list. - Jonty Czuchwicki

When and Where: Sat April 4, Apple Bar and Nightclub, Synagogue Place Adelaide *$10 entry if you message Apple Bar page and tell them you read Pilerats No Money Weekend guide or use the code word Pilerats at the door*

TASMANIA

GOOD FRIDAY = TACO FRIDAY

I dunno about you but I ain't so religious, and meat on Good Friday sounds pretty good to me. Especially when it's wrapped in a delicious corn tortilla.  Whether it's braised beef, grilled chicken or pulled pork, the guys at Taco Taco have got you covered. Don't worry vegos, they also serve up a delicious black bean taco topped with a red slaw, smoked almonds and a feta crema. If you ask me, Jesus would have been more than keen to scoff down a few of these babies after a hard day's work. The Taco Taco truck is mobile, so head over to their facebook page for info on their location each day.  - Tom Wolff

When & Where: Daily, 'everywhere' in Hobart. 

CATHEDRAL ROCK

OK. So maybe you are religious. My bad. What better way to celebrate the Easter weekend than a hike out to aptly named Cathedral Rock and get some nature into ya! The 6 hr return walk begins by trailing the North West Bay river, surrounded by beautiful forests dotted with eucalypts and a wide array of birdlife.  The forests give way to a sub-alpine environment as you zig-zag your way up Bett's Hill, before eventually reaching the cusp of Cathedral Rock itself, serving up panoramic views of Mt Wellington ant the North West Bay area. While you're at it why not crack a beer or two while you're up there, as long as ya don't leave your mess behind! - Tom Wolff

 When & Where: Nature has no watch. Head out of Hobart on the A6 past Fern tree until you reach Betts Rd. The track starts from here. For more info see the Wellington Park website. 

SUB THEORY 

The Grand Poobah is considered one of the pioneers of the local electronic scene, and has introduced an event in recent times known as Sub Theory. With the promise of delivering on the best quality house & techno local DJs have to deliver, the third instalment of Sub Theory's monthly affair ensures some quality boogie time. Get out and support the expanding local electronic scene in Hobart, and dance your face off at the same time.  - Tom Wolff

 When & Where: Sat Apr 4, 10pm til late, The Grand Poobah, 142 Liverpool St, Hobart. Free entry.

 NEW ZEALAND 

EASTER FREAKS

Woo hoo, Hey-Zeus died and returned to the earth of sin just for you, so lets give him something to really suffer about. Smashing it on Friday night is the homies from KCB and Tubertechno ready to make your Easter antics go off with a bang. Entry is cheap, the music will surely be cheerful and if you haven’t yet been to Auckland’s hot venue spot, Whammy Bar, get your butt down there for a whooping good time. Not too mention artist Kobix, Lipgloss Slumber Party, Sorts, Totems, Career Girls and Kieren Tahir will all be there. I can hear, “BEST NIGHT EVER”. – Georgina  

When and Where: Fri Apr 3rd, 7pm, Whammy Bar, 183 Karangahape Road, Auckland. $5 on door. 

TRASHY SATS 

Never heard of trashy sats? Well know you have. On Saturday, we get trashed, and we’ve got the best place for it. Absolutely Trashed on K’rds Mercury Lane is all about getting its good people together and celebrating diversity. This Saturday they will be showcasing an aray of artist’s works and musical talent, pleasant enough for your ears and eyes. Hey if your not sold already (what the hells wrong with you?!), here’s another reason to attend; at 1am Auckland City will be witnessing a lunar eclipse, accompanied by dark mystical tunes and a performance arcade, this will truly be a spectacle. – Georgina  

When and Where: Sat Apr 4th, 7pm, Absolutely Trashed, 21 Mercury Lane, Auckland. $10 on door. 

THE LAST BEERS

I keep saying it and I’ll say it again, summers nearly over people! Want it to keep going though? Head down to the Portland Public House and get funky with the summer cats that keep on going. Beers, BBQ, Jams, DJs and even an Easter egg hunt, for those on their best behavior, will be provided for this fun-filled Friday evening. And better yet, its free! Grab yourself a cheap pint and free munch and you will be bathing in that sunshine wishing the days will never end. Aw, don’t be upset, watch this space… – Georgina  

When and Where: Fri 3rd Apr, 4pm, The Portland Public House, 463 New North Road, Auckland. Free. 

Got something cheap or free you can recommend for our weekly guide? Send your zero-dollar recommendations for the week ahead to dani@pilerats.com. Enjoy your long weekend!