Local music acts and regional communities both felt the positive impacts of WAM’s new Goldfields-Esperance Touring Circuit, which saw over 600 people attend four free entry shows headlined by Lenora-based act The Tapping Stickz and Esperance three-piece Grand Casual in Esperance, Norseman, Kalgoorlie, and Leonora last month. Great crowds showed their support at all locations, with punters even braving the rain in Esperance in a true sign of appreciation.
For the artists involved, the tour introduced them to fresh audiences, expanded their immediate touring horizons, and helped take their performance skills to another level.
Kyron Smithson (Grand Casual) spoke highly of the experience, saying, “WAM’s support allowed Grand Casual to step outside our comfort zone, throwing us on a short, fast paced, eye opening tour that delivered such opportunity for immediate growth as a group and also as individuals. Our music found fresh new audiences and our horizons as a touring act where greatly expanded.”
It also provided valuable opportunities for these often-isolated artists to form intra-regional connections, with Kyron Smithson going on to say that, “It was an absolute pleasure to perform and tour alongside The Tapping Stickz, the tour developing a relationship between the two bands that will lead to future collaboration.”
The Tapping Stickz echoed this sentiment, saying, “The Tapping Stickz got to play our songs to mob in Esperance, Norseman and Kalgoorlie for the first time, the tour was a big opportunity for us to help get our band name out there. We had fun with the Grand Casual fellas and had them join us on stage in Kalgoorlie and Leonora.”
For a number of the local support acts involved, it was their first time performing on stage to an audience so was incredibly significant in their development. Taryn Woods-Spurling (Missgenius) said, “I’m so glad I got the opportunity to play my first gig with WAM, the support has been awesome and the set-up was so exciting. I was nervous but everyone with WAM were excellent support, which gave me that confidence to get up. If I wasn’t given such a great opportunity I don’t think I’d be anywhere near close to being able to perform live.”
Local communities sang nothing but praises for WAM’s touring circuit, with the events helping bring all members of the community together.
Manager of Community Development at the Shire of Dundas Pania Turner said, “Ngadju, children, seniors, tourists, families, young adults and teenagers were in attendance at Marks Park and it really was alive with sound and colour.” Going on to say that WAM’s project “provided every opportunity for local talent and community to be involved.”
Esperance’s Cannery Arts Centre committee member Paul Ricciardoalso appreciated the community-building benefits, saying “The WAM event at the Cannery Arts Centre was a winner on so many levels. There were young and old enjoying the event together with a number of community members present who had not previously engaged with the Arts Centre.”
The significance of events such as these did not go unnoticed by local media; earning front page coverage and feature articles in local newspapers as well as interviews and radio play on local radio stations.
As the pilot of WAM’s newest regional touring circuit, it successfully proved the region’s thirst for live contemporary music is alive and well and paves the way for ongoing development in the area.
Article courtesy of WAM. Originally published at wam.org.au - CLICK HERE to read the full article