The Best Live Music Venues WA Has To Offer

The Public Vote categories for this year’s WAM Awards close at 5pm today, and with a few hours left, we thought we’d give you a rundown of the scene’s unsung heroes – the live music venues.

We’re hosting the Public Votes again this year and gave an analysis of the Most Popular Live Act among other categories during the week, but, without live music venues, there wouldn’t be such an award for bands.

It’s been a tough year for venues, with The Bakery and others closing their doors, but some new venues have also been introduced into the mix, and the below selection are some of the best in not only Australia, but the world.

WA’s Most Popular Venue will be named next Thursday, November 5, at the WAM Awards, and you can vote on that as well as other Public Voted categories right here. Voting closes at 5pm today, so get on it!

Amplifier Capitol

Two venues for the price of one. Amplifier Bar and Capitol saw some amazing gigs this year, including a rare headline club performance from stadium punk rockers Rise Against.

We caught The Paper Kites there earlier this month and the atmosphere was near perfect, moving from the aforementioned punk rock whirlwind to an intimate affair, proving it’s a diverse beast.

Jimmy’s Den

It sounds like a place you want to hangout with your mates every weekend, and its schedule doesn’t make that too hard. It opened its doors earlier this year and has become a go-to for local bands launching as well as touring acts looking for something a bit different. The 200-capacity space announced it would be launching while punters were still mourning the impending lose of The Bakery, so it was welcomed with arms wide open.

The Bird

Another Northbridge venue that’s prime for hangouts when live music isn’t on offer. It’s one of the most inviting venues around, and after a while in the beer garden, you begin to feel like you’re chilling in a mate’s backyard. We caught up with San Cisco there as they were gearing up to release Gracetown and they rattled off a couple of acoustic numbers for us.

Jack Rabbit Slim’s

Live music, good times, alcoholic milkshakes and an endless supply of fries is what Jack Rabbit Slim’s promised when they burst onto the scene a couple of months ago, and they’ve delivered on that promise. Formerly Black Betty’s and Parker Nightclub, the new layout has given it new life, and the venue now hosts an eclectic mix of acts every weekend. We went behind the scenes before they opened their doors in July. Check it out here.

The WAM Awards ceremony goes down at Jack Rabbit Slim’s next Thursday.

Mojo’s Bar

Fremantle represent! The live music venue truly captures the essence of North Fremantle and its music scene, and is another space that local bands have made their own, with Mojo’s hosting release shows on a regular basis. Basically, Mojo’s Bar feels authentic, and it has something happening every night of the week.

Joni In The Moon @ Mojo’s Bar. Pic by Caitlin Schokker

Rosemount Hotel

The North Perth venue is another two-for-one type deal, with the main room hosting the bigger acts and Four5Nine lending its services for more intimate shindigs. Four5Nine got a massive makeover this year, making it one of WA’s best small venues for live music. WAM award nominee Ruby Boots treated us to a couple of acoustic numbers at Rosemount when she released her new record.

Votes need to be in strictly by 5pm Friday 30 October - have your say here, and check out the full nominees list here.

For tickets and more info on WAM Festival see their official website.