The AHA NSW has announced the winner of this year’s ‘Rockin’ the Puburbs’ live music competition, with inner-west alternative five-piece Spruced Moose topping the chart.
Now in its second year, the competition is all about supporting live music in pubs, and open to any NSW-based pub act that performs at least one original song.
“Many of Australia’s top music acts first got their start down at their local, and the aim of Rockin’ the Puburbs is to support local music talent and give them a leg up in the industry,” says CEO John Whelan.
“This competition is part of the AHA’s strong tradition of support for live music and I congratulate Spruced Moose on their win.”
Judges report this year’s entrants made a strong field of almost 200 acts from all over the State.
“Spruced Moose was the band which most reflected what Rockin’ the Puburbs is about – giving aspiring musicians an opportunity. They were the winners from a quality field,” reports panel judge and AHA NSW Director of Liquor and Policing John Green.
“As a panel, we considered Spruced Moose displayed a talent and raw energy, and we are excited to watch as they develop further.”
The band will now receive up to $12,000 support from AHA NSW towards a pub tour, as well as funding toward a dedicated tour publicist and mentoring session with an APRA AMCOS industry ambassador.
Spruced Moose is Nigel Malcolm (keyboard), Alex Blair (electric guitar), Angus Bowring (vocals), Declan Bowring (bass guitar) and James Angus Mackinnon (drums).
The band describes itself as “fuelled on a diet of cheeseburgers, iced coffee and suburban mangoes” and its set list as an “array of tunes ranging from goofy surf-pop to searing, head-banging jams”.
The winner of Rockin’ the Puburbs for 2017 was Northern Beaches punk pop group Rackett, who went on to perform at the AHA NSW Awards for Excellence.
