Live Review: WAMFest Saturday Spectacular 2016

With a multitude of venues hosting a plethora of bands from genres ranging from nail-biting electronic to cheeky punk and funk, it was a sight to behold for local musos and punters alike when the annual Saturday Spectacular transcended on Northbridge yet again.

Audibly pleasing asphalt-heaven The Block Party was kicked off by Leon Osborn, who pumped out crisp and earthy beats to the early arriving masses. Providing trendy beats to kick back to in the late afternoon, it was the perfect set to slowly ease into the massive WAMFest event.

With the sun shining in the window behind them, Salary took to the stage at Mustang Bar. Playing as a seven-piece this time out, vocalist Sean Gorman’s vocal effects sat nicely with the band’s mix of indie-pop and folk. Salary delivered a well-received set by dishing out gems Indian Ocean and Like Nothing before finishing off with their 2016 release Mini Moke.

"Flossy kept things feeling retro with a modern twist."

A quick trip over to Universal Bar found Demon Days in the midst of a smooth, chilled-out set of jazz/funk. The four-piece band delivered a polished set highlighted by sweet keyboards and some tasty bass playing that had the growing crowd grooving. 

In the rustic depths of Jimmy’s Den, grunge masters Flossy kicked off the venue’s rockfest with hard-and-fast rock'n’roll. With the duet keeping it cool on stage, their unique blend of blues and hints of glam rock at times kept their set interesting. Bluesy vocals entwined with a dirty distortion of the rhythm guitar, Flossy kept things feeling retro with a modern twist.

Back at The Mustang, the crowd had swelled ahead of what proved to be an outstanding performance by Lucy Peach. Backed by a full band, Peach showed all in attendance why she was such a deserving winner of Best Folk Act at this year’s WAM awards with a set of beautifully crafted material. Her amazing voice and captivating songwriting kept the audience enthralled for the entire set as she proved once more why she is such a favourite on the Perth music scene. 

Indigenous rapper Beni Bjah laid out some sweet tunes for the buzzing Block Party. The WAM Song Of The Year Award winner had a way with words, throwing out a quick beat to a measurable political angst. With Survivor being a highlight of his set, Bjah got the crowd moving, and so began the first of many decent hip hop acts to grace the stage of the Block Party that night.

Fremantle six-piece Spaceman launched high into orbit at Badlands Bar to the pleasure of the thirsty crowd. Their sound is a boutique mixture of psychedelic synth-pop, crafting elemental mix of punk surf guitars and drifting vocals that combined to add to each song in their set.

Human Buoy at The Bird brought some slow, breezy and slightly quirky rock to the table. Cycling through the tracks on the small stage, punters were kicking back – with a small group of followers hanging around the front of the stage. With music sounding like it belonged in a '90s comedy sitcom, all you needed was a can of laughter to complete the set.

By now Moana were on stage at Universal Bar, treating the crowded room to a typically hypnotic performance. The addition of a cellist, which gave their psychedelic rock sound an added dimension, and Moana Lutton’s haunting vocals and mesmerising stage presence resulted in what proved to be one of the standout performances of the day. Finishing off with their 2015 release, Vader, Moana showed why their live shows are not to be missed.

Small Town Heroes braved the early evening PICA stage with their version of grunge, pop and rock, and simplistic yet effective driving bass music. The head-banging pop rockers packed enough punk to earn many a cheer around the stepped arena.

In contrast to the early punk infused acts, Belgrade’s more subtle sound filled the public space with casual, sunny swaying rhythms and sweet vocal harmonies. The blend of Les Paul bluesy guitar, violin riffs and three-part soprano and bass melodies made this act a joy to watch. Perfect for the now twilight lit stage, the audience appreciated their cover of Mama & The Papas California Dreamin'.

Odette Mercy & Her Soul Atomics brought out some old school, tantalising blues music, with vocals that really hit a classic, bluesy angst. With punters sitting on the benches near the bar jostling to her music, it was a perfectly, audibly crisp backdrop to sink a few drinks to.

Rockers Legs Electric hit out an eclectic selection of excellent rock tracks at Jimmy’s Den. A classic nod to 100%, purely original rock'n’roll, the girls killed it on stage. A small crowd jostled away to the band’s swaying power chords and tenacious drum beats.

Catzilla were up next with their groovy '60s garage sound. Their fuzzed-out, pop-inspired tunes had Universal Bar rocking, so much so that one punter jumped on stage to channel his inner go-go dancer but was soon shown the way down. Andy Razor’s guitar playing was impressive as always. Shout! Shimmy! Shake! from their 2016 EP Going Wild was the highlight of a rockin’ set.

An awesome sight to behold was Premiss, a hip hop act that featured a plethora of guest performers hitting stage alongside them. With Coin Banks and Marksman Lloyd and other rappers also picking up the mic, things were starting to pick up at The Block Party.

With a highly anticipated debut album in the wings, Hyla hit the Badlands stage hard during happy hour. A perfect storm of electric distortion and sonic grunge to the delight of an audience that expands more with every live show with new fans craving one of the tightest and creative sounds being crafted in this city.

The Chlorines over at The Boston were quick to please with some swinging, crunchy, classic rock. With the deep, smooth, vaguely monotonic vocals of lead singer Owen De Marchi, they undulated their way through their music – traipsing through a crisp set loaded with punkish antics and a rock'n’roll furore.

Whiskey Au Go Go was a fun outfit to check out. With a small crowd gathering to see them at The Bird, they were a nostalgic mixture of both blues and rock. What sold the band to the punters was the strong, dynamic vocal of Ann Cuyper, who managed to pull on the heart strings when low-key, more folky tracks were played. Smooth and lilting, the band lifted their game when it came to the raunchier tracks.

Melodic-pop outfit Young Robin had every age group of the PICA Amphitheatre swaying to the beats and groove of their clean-cut chorused indie-pop.  The positive tunes and dreamy arpeggiated layered guitars had passersby stopping for a listen and dance. The activated crowd warmed to the enthusiasm and musical charm of the five local youthful lads.

Possibly the prize for the cheekiest, or perhaps wittiest performers of the night, was rap group POW! Negro for their crazed antics. The punters were eager to get down to some sweet rhythms and hit the rap game hard. A highlight was when lead rapper Nelson Mondlane started to talk in a faux-English accent, telling the crowd that everyone was “young at heart” regardless of age, even if you were doing an impression of a 90-year-old on pingers.

Perfect duo The Money War created waves of airy, ethereal rock at The Bird. An ideal melding of slow, undulating rock and emotive indie-pop, the smooth, soothing vocals of lead singer of Carmen Pepper with the gloriously tasty instrumentals of Dylan Ollivierre gave off some serious Fleetwood Mac vibes with a hint of folk.

Last band up at Universal Bar were Barefeet Sojourn, with their painted faces and, of course, barefeet, who were playing their first gig in two months and debuting a new drummer. Their infectious sound, a fusion of latin, reggae and ska along with a high energy performance had everyone up dancing. 

Bats at Jimmy’s Den hit the nail on the head with some jarring, cutting-edge guitar rock. Not a band to shy away from big sounds, filled with catchy guitar riffs and impressive solos – they got the punters at Jimmy’s Den moving. With ample amounts of fuzz in the overdrive, they felt rustic and retro.

"WAMFest delivered another stunning crash course on WA music."

Sydnee Carter's acoustic vocal serenity had the mellowed-out crowd at PICA swoony to her incredible charm. Singing emotive, heartfelt lyrics, her delicate voice, blended with subtle acoustic guitar, was pleasantly entertaining throughout her set. Ending with a cover of Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Carter’s take on the classic '80s pop song had everyone on their feet and dancing. 

Lanark kept everyone in check back at Badlands, switching from beautiful melancholy to stay-in-your-head indie riffs, the harmonious vibe laid down in the previous sets peaking with their expert display of live dream pop.

Twangy in sound and slightly old school, there was an element of hype for Verge Collection among the crowd, and they didn't fail to deliver, successfully dishing out Our Place and Class Of ’09 in the nostalgic, hip style of indie rock that's currently so in vogue.

Crowds were swelling hard at Badlands by the time Skullcave took the stage in a pure onslaught of heavy drumming, along with a smashing bass and guitar combination that made for a mesmerizing live journey.

A stellar set was to be had when watching Sugar Army; however, it was a little dismaying to see the crowd thin out slightly when they started playing. But soundwise, the guys nailed it.

Foam cultivated and smashed through their filth-heavy live set with a hard rocking, high energy performance that pumped the inside volume to the extreme. 

Mathas threw the Block Party into a flurry of pleasurable hip hop once more, letting a small crowd start to form near the front of the stage. Grooving away to his rhythms and words, punters enjoyed the rapper’s stage antics as he charismatically compelled them to boogie on down.

The music wrapped up at The Block Party with an impressive, eclectic set from local legends Hideous Sun Demon, with the pinnacle of the band’s achievements coming from the impressive facial contortions of lead singer Vincent Buchanan-Simpson. They certainly finished up the venue with a bang, their quirky spin on rock leaving a mark on the punters semi-moshing near the front of the stage.

Experiencing Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving is a must for any eclectic music lover. With the pit and balconies of Badlands full, the stage was primed for a pounding, undulating tight mix of remedy guitars, synth organs, beats all holding a perfect place in their swirling psychedelic universe. 

Surf rock wonders Stillwater Giants rounded out a massive night, with catchy riff-laden bangers. Hit track Fly Under The Radar and an impressive cover of Radiohead’s High & Dry had the late-night air full of cheers and praises as the curtain closed on a perfect day of sun and sounds.

WAMFest delivered another stunning crash course on WA music, with many a punter, muso and conference delegate continuing the celebration at the official after party at Badlands Bar, fittingly hosted by The Music, with indie-rock powerhouse Pat Chow unleashing one final burst of energy to truly cement the 2016 Saturday Spectacular as one of the best to date.