Live Review: WAMAwards Party 2016

"Taking it a step up" seemed to be the mantra from both the bigwigs and musos at tonight's Western Australia Music Awards. Relocating to the Claremont Showgrounds this year was an inspired call, as the vibe was enthusiastic and the crowd vociferous throughout, although the rickety steps up to the stage threatened to humiliate winners en route to the rostrum.

The night opened with a hefty bang thanks to glam-garage urchins Hideous Sun Demon, an act who somehow sound like every underground band ever simultaneously. In between award presentations, Phillip Walley-Stack took centre stage to give us a quick blast of Noongar-inspired song-writing, hammered out with an everyman charm that made you want to invite him back to yours for some of that homebrew you've been working on. Self-confessed folk flake Lucy Peach then celebrated her award win with the instant FM classic Be So Good, and Grace Barbe closed out the first half of the show with some tropical roots music pinned down by fluid, bassy grooves.

Considering the last time Abbe May performed in a church she danced on the communion rail, waved a goat's skull in the air and demanded to know what's wrong with gay marriage, it's somewhat surprising that she has unleashed the Abbe May Gospel Choir, backed by Joni Hogan (of Joni In The Moon) and Odette Mercy. Tonight featured a special performance of the Best Single Award winning heavy voodoo of Doomsday Clock. With tensions at home and political Armageddon beckoning overseas, it's hard to imagine any other song being more relevant to these uneasy times.

The Psychedelic Porn Crumpets then demonstrated their advanced skills in managing to compress multiple tunes and complex riffing into one piece of music. It was a veritable Alice-down-the-rabbit-hole journey that could only be described as time-meltingly good, and surely signposts the way to bigger things are around the corner. Soukouss Internationale then rocked the after party with infectious afro grooves that were impossible not to dance to, even for those who find dancing almost impossible. The evidence was there to see as eruptions of uncontrollable shimmying, hip rolls and hard-to-describe improvisations took hold. A DJ set from double award nominee Mei Saraswati ended a packed night of recognition, emotion and musical mayhem.