WAMAwards 2019 Public Voting: Most Popular Live Act

Every year, as a part of the annual WAMFest and WAMCon celebrations, the WAMAwards reward and honour the best of West Australia's flourishing music scene. This year, one defined by the international domination of WA-raised musicians like Stella Donnelly and Carla Geneve, the WAMAwards represent something bigger: a chance to recognise those who have helped push WA music not just within the state, but on a larger national scale and then internationally too, whether it be those in-front of the cameras familiar to most, or those working behind-the-scenes to make sure it happens. 

While many of the categories are voted by a collection of industry members, this year sees the return of the WAMAwards public voting, which makes a comeback - presented by Pilerats, mind you - to give the power to the people in a handful of the ceremony's most acclaimed awards. This year, public voting is open for five awards: Most Popular Live Act, Most Popular New Act, Most Popular Venue and the all-new Most Popular Act, a winner-of-winners-type award that'll go to the act chosen to have the greatest contribution to WA Music this year. Public Award voting closes at 11.59PM on Thursday, October 10th.

Here, you can vote for the 2019 WAMAwards' Most Popular Live Act category, featuring:

Carla Geneve
Daybreak
Demon Days
Grace Barbe
Grievous Bodily Calm
Jack Davies
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets
Sly Withers
Southern River Band
Spacey Jane
Stella Donnelly

Vote for the 2019 WAMAwards' Most Popular Live Act category HERE.

or

TO VOTE IN ALL OF 2019'S WAMAWARDS PUBLIC VOTING FIELDS, HEAD HERE.

This year's nominees:

Carla Geneve

Witnessing Carla Geneve in performance is akin to a sermon of fire and brimstone: it is an absolute sensory commandment of flesh and blood attention. The naked vulnerability underpinning the immediacy of her songs is emboldened by the raw and unbridled energy of her live shows that have captured the imagination of audiences across Australia...

Geneve then announced her signing to Remote Control/Dot Dash Recordings in February 2019, subsequently releasing a new single, 2001 which was placed into rotation on Triple J and praised by Beats 1’s Matt Wilkinson on Apple Music. A rapturously received national tour followed, resulting in 2001 claiming the #1 spot on the AMRAP Australian Community Radio Charts …. Following a huge Grand Prize Win at the 2019 WAM Song of the Year Awards and having just returned from her debut North American tour in support of indie-pop act San Cisco playing to packed rooms across the USA & Canada, Geneve will embark on a national headline tour of Australia in support of her EP before preparing to record her debut album and touring nationally with Holy Holy from September-November.

Daybreak

Perth's Daybreak have been on the lips of the Australian heavy community for some time now … Between getting early support from triple j Unearthed, to playing sold-out rooms around the country with bands such as Polaris, Parkway Drive, Make Them Suffer & Alpha Wolf, the young five piece have had a taste of the road and now they are starving for more.

Their previous EP Death Dreams was lauded by Alt Press - saying that "Daybreak are shoring up the current wave of meaningful but merciless metal. As a young band with all the talent and insight to burst through a seemingly flagging genre, the group’s compact compositions present a force and nuance that could leave a lasting imprint on the scene." They followed that up with their biggest track to date, Acid Green - and now this three-Track EP makes good on all the promise they've shown to date. While the pure anger of their youth still remains, the bands sound has matured into its current state - leaving behind their high school beginnings and moving forward into young adult life. They’re not kids anymore, and they are more focused than ever! The new EP ‘Godfather’ shows the band refining their sound further, With 3 tracks coming from 3 different angles of the heavy genre as the band see it. Vocalist Shaun Cox describes this release as "...the true genesis of Daybreak."

Demon Days

Perth’s Demon Days are the exciting five member Jazz Funk/Neo Soul collective set to captivate audiences and “transform any group of 20-somethings into an appreciative audience of jazz cats” (themusic.com.au). The group garner influences from Hip Hop, Soul, Funk, Jazz, Fusion, and everything in between. The band have earned a solid place in the Perth scene in just two years of existence, appearing on line-ups in almost every venue in the western capital. They’ve played alongside some big names as well, including Nai-Palm, Willow Beats, Sex on Toast, POW Negro, Stella Donelly, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, and have played on festivals including Falls Festival, Groovin The Moo, Jungle Love and Fairbridge Festival. In 2017 the band earned 2 nominations at the WAM awards for “Best New Act” and “Best Urban Act” and vocalist Bella Nicholls warned a nomination for “Best Vocalist” at the 2017 NLMA’s and then in 2018 the band has earned a WAM Award nomination for the debut EP Magic Eye. Their singles Lost In Translation, Killer Bees and No Winners all received praises and plenty of airplay from Triple J and have landed rotation on stations including RTRFM, 3RRR, FBi, Radio Adelaide and 4ZZZ. In November of 2017, Demon Days signed with Dominic Miller of renowned agency New World Artists and have since toured the country playing to packed venues nation wide.

In August of 2018, the band released their debut EP Magic Eye produced by Grammy award nominated engineer Nick Hererra (Hiatus Kaiyote, Jaala, Sex On Toast). With an eclectic mix of styles and influences, Demon Days have flourished into something greater than the sum of it’s parts, with a high-energy live set with dexterity and the chops to show it.

Grace Barbe

Grace Barbe hails from the sunburnt Indian Ocean islands of the Seychelles, where a colourful history of slavery, pirates, coups d'etat and coconuts have produced a unique Kreol rhythm, language and culture. Drawing from the diverse cultural melange of the islands, Grace's music fuses the tropical rhythms and dances of the slaves with psychedelic rock, afrobeat, reggae and pop … Passionately committed to showcasing and developing the Kreol culture with which she is so deeply connected, Grace is preparing to release her new album, FANM : WOMAN in 2019

Grevious Bodily Calm

Grievous Bodily Calm are a beat music band from Perth, Western Australia. The quintet combines IDM, Jazz-Fusion, Rock, Hip Hop, and experimental improvisation to produce unique compositions. Since forming in late 2016 the band have had quick success, performing at Falls Festival, Gizzfest, Camp Doogs and supporting artists including Winston Surfshirt, Jordan Rakei, Sex on Toast and Donny Benet. In September 2017 the band released their debut album Thought Tapes Live – a seven-track live album capturing the audience’s active engagement with their adventurous constructions. The band has spent the early part of 2018 recording their debut studio album, Repel, including the single Footwork. Repel shows further attention on unconventional structures and strong melodies.

Jack Davies and The Bush Chooks

Jack Davies is a 19-year-old songwriter based in Fremantle. The young folksinger weaves suburban Australiana and intimate stories into thundering folk-rock ballads. After years of busking and performing solo, he recruited a few friends to form The Bush Chooks, an electrified take on his former folk tales. Just a year after forming, Jack Davies and the Bush Chooks were nominated for three WAM awards and won Nannup Music Festival’s prestigious Emerging Artist Award. Debut single Vegemite Sandwich and follow-up release Rosemary Mushrooms are intimate, witty and dang near delicious tracks – think poetry penned from the backseat of a Troopy. Watch out for their Debut EP to be released May 2019.

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets - a four-piece psychedelic rock band from Perth who’ve been quoted as “Resembling Jimi Hendrix fresh off the end of a light globe.” - The Music. Highlights so far include supporting King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Dune Rats, Black Mountain, Goons of Doom, Skegss, Black Mountain, releasing their debut album High Visceral Part1 and completing a national tour around Australia.

Sly Withers

On the road to releasing their sophomore album this year, Sly Withers have Google Maps on their phone and petrol in their car, and they'll be seeing you real soon.
“...top notch emotive punk.” - TheMusic.com.au
“A vibrant & fresh taste to the Australian punk scene.” - New & Brave

The Southern River Band

In a world where starting off a biography with "In a world where" is the norm, The Southern River Band are apparently no different. In the very same world, where labelling one's self is encouraged, where being able to describe one's style is expected, The Southern River Band neither know, nor care how to fit themselves into these pigeonholes. Head south on Perth's so-called "Freeway", jump on Roe Highway, Hang a right on Nicholson Road, go through the busiest roundabout in Australia, and you'll find yourself in Thornlie, the home of The Southern River Band. A country town in the heart of the suburbs, where the jukeboxes stock very little other than the very same songs you would've heard reverberating out of them in 1970s. They say you're a product of your surroundings, who are "they"? Nobody knows. But, they're not far wrong. You're bound to find one of the boys recycling their spare change, putting on Come Back Again for the 3rd time in the space of 4 hours on any given Friday arvo.

Spacey Jane

As most bands do, Caleb, Kieran, Ashton and Peppa came together through blooming friendships and lucky connections. A few jams later, the bond was cemented and their debut gig in Caleb's dad's backyard kicked it all off. In the year that followed, Freo's very own garage-pop outfit Spacey Jane went from backyards to bright lights, sharing the stage with the likes of Car Seat Headrest, Alex Lahey, The Jungle Giants, British India, Olympia and The Stems, along with festival appearances at Wave Rock Weekender, Gizzfest 2017, Falls Downtown 2018 and WA Day's SOTA Festival. For relatively new kids on the block, they’ve had a very impactful start. Support from industry and fans continues to grow, with their tour in support of the latest single “Good Grief” being a sold-out affair. SJ will take a new single on the road once more in July, August and September, playing their biggest rooms to date. Onwards and upwards!

Stella Donnelly

At the beginning of 2017, Donnelly released her debut EP Thrush Metal and was met with critical acclaim. The five-track release was written over the space of two years; a musical undertaking resulting in a bold and unapologetic repertoire of songs which has forged Donnelly to the forefront of the new guard of Australian songwriters. The second half of 2017 saw Donnelly receive invitations to perform at world-renowned music showcases in 2018; the UK’s The Great Escape and Austin’s SXSW. In November, Donnelly travelled to London to perform sold-out shows as part of The Great Escape’s ‘First 50’. Back on home soil, Donnelly won the inaugural Levi’s Music Prize, as the ‘most outstanding talent’ at Brisbane’s Bigsound conference, a swathe of Western Australian Music Industry Awards, including Best EP, Best Folk Act, Best Single, Best Female Vocalist and Most Popular New Act. This was quickly followed by Australian national youth radio station Triple J awarding Donnelly the ‘Unearthed Artist of the Year’s award…