A brief glimpse at goings-on in the WA music industry, rounded up by WAM aka West Australian Music.
40,000 WORTH OF SMILES
Becoming one of the world’s biggest all-local music festivals, we were stoked with how WAMFest went last year.The numbers are now in from all the venues for the 2017 WAMFest presented by Drug Aware, proudly supported by City of Perth & Lotterywest, and we’re chuffed to announce this year’s festival attendance almost tripled to just shy of 40,000 attendees.
With an increase of 173 per cent from the previous year to 39,638 attendees, thanks to the record-breaking number of people raising their hands up high for WA music!
WAMFest 2017 also just took out the National Live Music Awards Best Live Event of the Year Award. A HUGE thanks to everyone involved (including major media partners scenestr), and we look forward to even better things in 2018!
HELP CREATE FAIRER GENDER REPRESENTATION
WAM has teamed up with APRA AMCOS to develop Fair Play, a comprehensive report that looks into the gender-based issues those involved in local, music careers face every day. Open to all genders, the survey asks questions about employment and experience in the local music community.It only takes 8 to 10 minutes and will provide invaluable information that has the potential to not only influence report recommendations, but also future policy development and – ultimately – a fairer music industry for all.
Click here to access the survey online, which is open till 7 January, 2018.
A DOOZA OF A SCHOLARPALOOZA
Rock Scholars present the Drug Aware Scholarpalooza! Battle of the Bands competition taking place at The Garage in Osbourne Park with heats running 12-25 January, and the Grand Final on 3 February.The comp does a superb job of giving young bands and solo artists the perfect opportunity to take part in all-ages shows in front of big audiences.
All under-age bands (18 and under) in Perth are recommended to apply by 10 January for their chance to also win some big prizes.
LAUNCHPAD (upcoming local launches)
- Thee Gold Blooms (single) - The Sewing Room, 15 December
- The Bible Bashers (EP) - Amplifier Bar, 22 December - click here to read our December 2017 article with the band
- COSY (formerly Mung Dahl, single) - Mojos Bar, 22 December
- Tectonic Tapes feat. FUZZ TOADS, Black Stone From The Sun, Braves, Kopano, The Psychotic Reactions, Catwalk, Dariia, Turtle Bay Television and Matt Sevier (compilation album) - The Sewing Room, 29 December
WAMORE
- Upload your best songs to triple j Unearthed by 17 December and you might be the last, local act to join the Freo leg of Laneway Festival.
- Songwriters are invited to enter the 2018 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition to be in the running for a first place cash prize of $A50,000, plus a heap more. Entries close 17 January.
- WAM’s annual Kiss My WAMi compiles A-grade tracks by WA artists, and each WAM Member gets a FREE copy, so swing by the office if you haven’t already grabbed yours.
- With a 15-year history of helping to kick-start the careers of young musicians in WA, YMCA HQ is expanding their youth artist and audience development programme, so look out for new Sweet Oblivion events coming soon.
- Congrats to #WAMFest Lot Party highlight and WAMAwards big winner Stella Donnelly, who took out the national J Award for Unearthed Artist of the Year.
