Falls comes to Fremantle

After 26 years of servicing the eastern states, Falls Festival finally made it to WA for a weekend to remember.

2017 kicked off with a bang with the debut of Falls Music and Arts Festival in Fremantle. Once exclusive to the eastern states, Falls has finally made its way west side to Perth festival goers' delight.

Covering the streets of downtown Fremantle, the Falls setup utilized local stores and venues. creating a maze of live music, basement dance floors and a hideaway church stage. From heavy metal to stand up comedy, there is no better place than Fremantle to capture the spirit of Falls Festival - an eclectic collection of artists all ready to perform a killer show.

The announcement that headliner Childish Gambino would no longer be playing the Fremantle leg of the festival due to a Golden Globe nomination left the Falls fans heartbroken - and doubtful that Falls could live up to the hype without him. While Gambino was missed, it wasn't enough to stop the magic of Falls - the show goes on, and in this case, it goes big.

For those still in mourning, Gambino appeared in spirit as Adelaide rapper Allday performed his cover of Gambino's '3005' during his set, and the crowd could not have been happier about it.

Listening to live music is always an experience, but there's something extra special about festivals. From the unconventional stage spaces between church walls and cobbled roads, to the glitter that seems to be everywhere, Falls was awash with light and colour to create a whimsical urban atmosphere that you couldn't help but be excited about.

Every performance was captivating, and every artist made sure the crowd was having the time of their life. For the first day, honorable mentions go to AlunaGeorge for their pocket rocket energy, Allday for going above and beyond for the crowd, and Hot Dub Time Machine for giving us the greatest cross-decade dance party I have ever experienced.

On the second day, Client Liaison threw us into a synth pop 80s fiesta, Matt Corby serenaded us, sending shivers down our spines with his chilling vocals, and finally Broods brought us home with an electrifying set that you couldn't not throw yourself into.

By the end of the weekend my feet were sore, my voice was gone, and my heart was full. Full of the appreciation for music, for Australian music and its future, and for every person that goes into making a festival work so that we can have the time of our lives. Thank you for a magical weekend Falls, I can't wait to do it again next year.