WAM (WA Music) Awards at the Brass Monkey, Warrington, with special guests the Stanleys, Christy Bellis, Paul Nixon and Vicky Williams

Thursday 8th December 2022.

Tonight’s is an extra special one. Not only do we have an epic lineup of local music, but it’s the first-ever ‘WAM (WA Music) Awards’ bash!  It’s to celebrate, connect and give thanks to music local to the WAM demographic, so anything within the WA postcode, encompassing Warrington, Widnes, Runcorn, Frodsham, Newton le Willows and some areas within St Helens. It’s the first event of this nature and it’s gained real momentum. Via the WAM Music and Live Warrington social media platforms the public have been able to first nominate and then vote in all 11 categories and votes came in in their thousands, in excess of 5000 votes! And tickets to the Awards ceremony were completely sold out. We have 3 well-known local artists performing tonight, as well as a set from neighbouring Wigan indie warriors, the Stanleys, so entertainment is first class, and hosting tonight is the super cool Jake Vickers of the Zangwills.

All our sets tonight are to be stripped-back acoustic, which really shows the creativity and talent of musicians in their purest form.

(Vicky Williams_Credit: Warren Millar)

First live set – Vicky Williams

Vicky Williams – vocal/guitar, Alan Jacob – Cajon, Nick Cork – bass

Opening for us tonight is a regular on the Warrington gigging circuit, and locally loved, Vicky Williams. With an essence of pure joy, she well and truly gets this event underway. With a totally captivating stage presence and a quirky and original style, Vicky has us as an audience eating from the palm of her hand with a delightful country/folk/indie sound, breathless vocals, then changing to high and far-reaching notes, then loud and full and held with ease. This acoustic style suits her perfectly, and the addition of bass and percussion works very well. It’s pure joy to listen to an upbeat, high vibrational and really fun set. I’ve seen Vicky a great many times now, she s a firm favourite and well worth checking out. Given the occasion, each set is kept short, but this one has been brimming with content, style and musicality. Vicky’s fortnightly, family/dog-friendly open mic event at the Saracen’s Head, Warrington, was nominated and made the finals for the award for Best Open mic.

Setlist: Start of the summer, Running up that hill, R.O.Y.G.B.I.V, Chatting to Vicky later, she said: “What an absolute pleasure to have been the opening act tonight, the local music scene coming together and recognising the fantastic achievements of this past year. It’s been a privilege to be part of this along with fellow musicians, promoters, venues, management and businesses, and I can’t wait for next year. From being active in the local music scene myself since 1998, it’s outstanding to see its advancement to where we are today. It’s been an exciting evening”.

(Stanleys_Credit: Warren Millar)

Second live set: Stanleys

Jake Dorsman – guitar, Paul Concannon – vocal

Our special guest turn tonight is from nearby Wigan, which has its share of amazing musical talent. Fresh from their recent sell-out UK tour, and playing a sold-out Victoria Warehouse in Manchester with ‘The Lathums‘, we have 2 of the 4 piece indie force that is ‘Stanleys‘. Energetic from the off, it’s another upbeat and toe-tapping set, full of high vibrations. This time it’s real indie anthemic feels, working excellently in this acoustic style, guitar is blazing and Tom’s vocal is intense, rich and full-bodied. Both guys fill this venue with their presence…a cover of James’s “Laid” gets the crowd singing along, and the guys manage to make this song truly their own! More feel-good, smile-inducing throughout this short set, then afterwards the guys give an interview on stage, conducted by our host, Jake Vickers.

No setlist is available.

(Christy Bellis_Credit: Warren Millar)

Third live set – Christy Bellis

Christy Bellis – vocal, Jack Poli- guitar, Mike Bainbridge – bass, Chloe Ferguson – keys

Next, is Runcorn-based Christy Bellis. This is to be my first time seeing her perform live, but I’m very familiar with her material, and I’ve been eager to catch a live set! Really smooth, rich and velvety jazz tones to Christy’s vocal, it’s very very listenable. Completely at home up on stage, it’s all so natural to her and she comes across as very down-to-earth and likeable. A glittering, shimmering feeling set, it’s making me smile, and that powerhouse voice is immense! The style or genre is varied – indie folk, jazz bordering on a blues/reggae feel with the tempo, it all blends together seamlessly and works completely. It’s dance-making, hard-to-stand-still kind of vibes. On the more intense vocal Christy really gives that sound that really makes us pay attention, mesmerising almost. Nominated and reaching the final of the WAM award for Rising Act tonight, Christy Bellis is definitely one to watch, I can only imagine a full band performance is quite spectacular and it’s on my must-see list for next year!

Setlist: Human nature, No means no, This girl, Bridesmaid

I caught up with Christy to ask her thoughts on the WAM awards and how it feels to be asked to perform.

Christy said “It was fantastic to perform my songs at the WAM awards to a room full of local industry people, from fellow artists and bands to the creatives and venues in attendance! I think the evening showed how vibrant and talented the local scene really is in and around Warrington”!

(Paul Nixon_Credit: Warren Millar)

4th live set – Paul Nixon

Providing our closing set tonight is another regular around Warrington and somewhat of a local legend, Paul Nixon. Usually performing real crashing indie rock sounds with his full band behind him, but tonight it’s a solo performance, just Paul and his guitar.  Having seen Paul do this previously, I know we’re in for something very special. Different feel again for this set, Paul managed to convey raw emotion, real feeling, grit and atmosphere through his voice, strumming his guitar intensely and with passion. The vocal is strong, and raspy, a real gravel tone that is quite simply goose-bump inducing. The crowd are under his spell…clapping, foot tapping, swaying…Paul’s bassist, Adam Barnett, and local musician, Alan Jacob, are up dancing in front of the stage! Paul’s brought the house down! And his cover of ‘Purple Rain’ ends the set with a standing ovation. Paul was nominated and made the finals of the award for Artist of the Year. I asked what all this means to him.

Paul said  “It was a great night. It was good to see so many talented and hard-working people come together, not just to receive their own recognition but to support each other as well. It was brilliant to be nominated for two awards and even more so to make the final four of the Artist of the Year. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be but there’s no shame in losing to Ian Brown! I reckon me and the lads still gained a lot from the night even without the award, and the live performance went down really well, I enjoyed it a lot. Cheers to everyone who voted, and of course to Lee at WAM for all his time, hard work and constant support, top man”.

Setlist: Don’t Look Down (New Song), Do You Know?, Love Is A Flower, Purple Rain.

WAM Awards

Venue of the year  – PARR HALL, accepted by David Morgan, Press and Social Media Officer

Rising Act of the year  – The RAYMONDS (video)

Promoter of the year – JIM ADDISON (Love Music Live Warrington)

Open mic of the year – ACOUSTIC CAFE, accepted by Amy Rose (who spoke) and Michelle Fitzsimons

Business of the year – HMV Warrington, accepted by Vic & El

Photographer of the year  – WARREN MILLAR

Video of the year  – HOMETOWN  – The K’s

Event of the year  – NEIGHBOURHOOD WEEKENDER , accepted by Jack Dowling (SJM promoter)

Artist of the year – IAN BROWN (not present)

Band of the year – CRAWLERS (not present)

Song of the year – HOMETOWN – The K’s (accepted by Joshua Johnson from band Collision)

Review by Janet Harding

Photography Warren Millar

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