AmpFest

AmpFest - Clash of the Bands is an initiative of a West Australian Youth Advisory Council (YAC) and has been held in May each year since 2003 by five Councils, in the western suburbs of Perth, comprising of City of Nedlands, Town of Claremont, Town of Mosman Park, City of Subiaco and Town of Vincent. The Town of Cambridge was one of the original organising Councils but withdrew and was replaced by the City of Nedlands. The project is designed to provide young Perth bands with an opportunity to further their skills in the music industry and provide them with a platform to play their music in a public arena, as well as provide other young people with the opportunity to attend free, local, live, all-ages entertainment. [cite web|url=http://www.drugaware.com.au/drug-aware.html |title=AmpFest 2007 |publisher=DrugAware |accessdate=2007-07-14]

The inaugural AmpFest was held in 2003 with 57 bands applying to take part [cite web |url=http://www.townofmosmanpark.wa.gov.au/events/view/article/3/AmpFest/ |title=AmpFest |publisher=Town of Mosman Park |accessdate=2008-07-14] and over 700 people attending the four heats that year. [cite web |url=http://3degree.ecu.edu.au/articles/89 |title=Amp Fest Clash of the Bands is now open |publisher=Edith Cowan University |last=Goh |first=Wendy |accessdate=2008-07-14] Since 2003, the format for each AmpFest has remained the same with the participating councils hosting the three heats and the final. Four bands play at each heat, with the winner going through to the final. A fourth wild card band is selected by the judges to participate in the final.

Since 2005 all twelve finalists get to record a track of their choice on the Best and Pressed CD which is distributed to music industry representatives throughout Western Australia. [cite web |url=http://www.artery.net.au/pdf/reAKT.pdf|title=reAKT Magazine|date=May/June 2006|accessdate=2008-07-14] In 2007 the winner of the competition also received automatic entry into the semi-final of the Next Big Thing competition. [cite web |url=http://www.nextbigthing.net.au/pressKit/What%20is%20the%20Next%20Big%20Thing%20WA.doc |title=Next Big Thing |accessdate=2008-07-14]

2003

The 2003 finals were held in the Quarry Amphitheatre in Floreat on March 29 and the winner that year was a band called Tantrum. [cite web |url=http://claremont.wa.gov.au/yac/yac_brief.pdf |title=YAC brief|publisher=Town of Claremont|accessdate=2008-07-14]

2004

The finals of the 2004 AmpFest were held on June 12 at the Ellie Eaton Pavilion, Claremont Showgrounds, with the winning band, BulletChild. [cite web|url=http://www.subiyac.wa.gov.au/wo-ampfest.htm |title=AmpFest Clash of the Bands|publisher=City of Subiaco |accessdate=2008-07-14]

2005

In 2005 the winners were Mink Mussel Creek, with the finals being held again at the Ellie Eaton Pavilion on June 11. Mink Mussel Creek went on to score second place at the Next Big Thing Competition 2006. In 2007 they were nominated twice at the WAMi awards, for 'Favourite Newcomer' and the industry-voted 'Most Promising New Act', winning the later.

2006

The 2006 winners were The Bullet Holes with the finals held on June 10 at UWA Refectory, UWA Guild, Hackett Drive, Crawley. [cite web |url=http://www.subiyac.wa.gov.au/wo-eventsitem.asp?EventID=11 |title=AmpFest |publisher=City of Subiaco |accessdate=2008-07-14] The band went onto be grand finalists in Next Big Thing Competition 2007 and state finalists in the National Campus Band Competition 2007.

2007

Captains of King won the 2007 AmpFest, which was held on Saturday June 9, 2007 at Subiaco Church, Subiaco. [cite web|url=http://www.nedlandsyac.com.au/projects/archive/10 |title=AmpFest – Clash of the Bands 2007 |publisher=City of Nedlands|accessate=2008-07-2008]

2008

The winners of the 2008 event were Panama. The finals were held on Saturday May 31, 2008 once again at Subiaco Church. [cite web |url=http://www.lakeway.net.au/pdf/TownTalk/08/TownTalk_June08.pdf |title=Town Talk |publisher=Town of Claremont |date=June 2008 |accessdate=2008-07-14]

References

External links

* [http://www.ampfest.com.au Official AmpFest Website]