WAMfest announces 2017 dates, new coordinators

West Australian Music (WAM) this morning announced that WAMFest returns over four days between Thursday November 2 and Sunday November 5.

Its events include the music conference WAMCon, WAMAwards and WAMShowcases.

Rebranded last year, WAMFest 2016 set new attendance records, with over 14,500 punters coming out to catch 160 artists in 26 venues.

To build on this, WAM appointed Mark Neal and Simon ‘Skinny’ O’Leary (pictured above) as new coordinators, taking over from Greg Sanders who moved on after three successful years.

Neal runs bookings, management, production, media and publicity house Blue Grey Pink in between managing and playing guitar with The Disappointed, fronting Odlaw and presenting a show on influential Perth community radio station RTRFM.

He also worked for WAM as site manager and festival assistant under Sanders.

O’Leary is the festival director of the all-ages music festival HyperFest for the City of Swan, and performs with his band Sail On! Sail On!

He tour managed acts through regional WA and previously worked at Country Arts WA, Black Swan State Theatre Company and various festivals

WAM is also looking for performing artists who have new releases coming up between now and November, song submissions for the Kiss My WAMi CD, and promoters and venues to be involved in WAMFest in running and coordinating events.