Western Australia’s most talented and promising musicians are gearing up to take centre stage as the countdown begins for the biggest celebration in the State’s calendar.
The annual WA Day Festival will return to Burswood Park for a free two-day celebration on November 21 and 22, showcasing some of the State’s most gifted artists.
Musical heavyweights Eskimo Joe and Coterie will headline the festival and will be joined by a line-up of WA talent including folk singer Clare Perrott, indie-pop triplets Birdland, rock band The Southern River Band and Abbe May’s All Stars.
Perth pop princess Samantha Jade will also step into the spotlight with OrchXtra, while Australian Idol star Gisella Colletti will grace the stage for a performance with the Joondalup Symphony Orchestra.
The Southern River Band frontman Cal Kramer described his music as “dumb rock and roll from Thornlie”, and said he was looking forward to showcasing what he calls the suburb’s iconic culture.
“Some people have called (Thornlie) the cultural hub of the south-eastern suburbs, so we’ll be bringing that energy forth to the wonderful Burswood Park,” he said on Saturday.
“It’s going to be a bloody great day. It always is, these sorts of things, (seeing) heaps of different acts playing and getting to see some old friends.”
Birdland’s eighteen-year-old identical triplets Conrad, Francis, and Oscar Cvitan will make their WA Day Festival debut.
“We love performing in front of West Australian audiences — it’s just so fun, especially seeing faces that you know in the crowd,” Francis said.
“(Perth) is our home and we love playing in our home State as much as anyone else.
“Hopefully, our music connects everyone together, and we have someone by the end humming a tune.”
The general manager of radio station RTRFM, Simon Miraudo, said WA was home to some of the best musicians in the world, but said it was often difficult for Perth artists to get national and international traction.
“The tyranny of distance is real and I really want people, in this age of AI slop and increasing prominence of international (artists) and reliance on streaming services, to be able to go (and see) the world-class talent here in WA,” he said.
“We produce some of the best acts in the world and I’m going to go make the effort to go and enjoy them, just in the way that 15 years ago you could see Kevin Parker (Tame Impala) play at 1pm at RTRFM gigs.”
Creative Industries Minister Simone McGurk said last year’s festival drew a crowd of more than 100,000, and urged West Aussies to support local artists.
“In a time where there seems to be a lot that’s fake out there, particularly on our screens and on our phones, this is a great opportunity to connect with other people as an audience, but also to see some live music,” she said.
“I can guarantee you will enjoy it, I can guarantee that.”
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