Photos by Matthew Reily

Once again, Falls proved to be a fantastic way to launch off into the new year in high spirits. The event provided everything you could wish for to have an absolute killer time (except for perhaps... a little more shade). This included a long line-up of talented artists, the ability to exit the venue to wander the streets of Fremantle, a huge variety of delicious food trucks and even some delicious cocktails! Similar to last year’s set-up, the venue was nice and compact and hence, extremely easy to navigate.

DAY ONE

Hitting up the only large area of shade – at the bar situated at the back end of Stages one and two – I tuned in to the young and proud Baker Boy. Though the crowd wasn’t huge at this stage, Baker Boy was not discouraged in the slightest. He showed off his multidisciplinary talents as he rapped in both English and Yolgnu Matha language, and danced around on stage. 

Though I had never heard of them before, the sultry R&B ballads of Pink Sweat$' also went down an absolute treat. ‘Call Me’ and ‘Drama’ were hits as his voice sounded particularly dreamy. Following this, the first massive crowd of the festival was created by none other than Vera Blue. Looking simply magnificent in a huge orange skirt and matching jewelled top (see our talented photographer’s photos for reference), Vera Blue belted out all of her best electronic-pop hits, including the powerful and emotion-filled ‘Regular Touch’ and ‘Lady Powers’. 

Disguised with a blue face-paint beard and rosy cheeks, Montaigne’s quirky and fantastical performance was nothing short of incredible. The definite crowd favourites were ‘Because I Love You’ and a throwback all the way to her 2014 EP Life of Montaigne with ‘I’m a Fantastic Wreck’. 

Next, the dynamic indie-rock duo Holy Holy showed off just how textural and melodic their best songs sound live. ‘Faces’ and ‘Teach Me About Dying’ from their latest album My Own Pool of Light were treasured by the crowd, though ‘True Lovers’ triggered the best sing-along and most dance moves. Montaigne even hopped back on stage for their cover of Lorde’s ‘Green Light’!

In classic Falls fashion, there is always an old-school act taking us back a century with their crowd-pullers. This year, it was none other than John Farnham, the ‘Whispering Jack’. To be frank, it was still very hot at this stage of the day, and it was hard to steal a spot under the shade of the stage for this popular artist. As such, I got myself some loaded fries and enjoyed listening to Farnham perform ‘You’re the Voice’, among other hits, from a distance.

At Milky Chance, there was no doubt the crowd was ready to boogie all night long to ‘Stolen Dance’, or go back to their ‘Cocoon’! Despite the name, everyone was more than awake and excited for ‘Daydreaming’, featuring Tash Sultana. Similarly, Of Monsters and Men sounded full of life and vibrant when performing live. Their most popular songs, such as ‘Little Talks’ and ‘Dirty Paws’ were great to experience and enjoyed by the twilight crowd. The sun finally set and though the lack of shelter during the day was a struggle, it proved to be ideal at night with a cool breeze sweeping through. 

And that breeze was absolutely vital to survive the next two fiery sets! Pnau lit up the stage in golden flames, during ‘Gold’, lit up our hearts during ‘Changes’ and engulfed the entire stage in a trance during their winning track ‘Go Bang’. The entire set was unbelievably fun. Though Pnau don’t perform in the way of singing or dancing, their music spoke for itself and their carefree vibes were contagious. 

Next up was an act I knew could do no evil. Experienced entertainers, pro-partiers and dexterous DJs, Peking Duk were about to supply all the anthems for a good time. Kicking off with the ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’ by Ramones, everyone was ready to go. Banger after banger was performed, with not an ounce of energy spared for ‘Fire’ or ‘Stranger’ which the crowd went off for. The duo also took a moment to draw the crowd’s attention to the fires currently happening over in Australia, and urged everyone to donate or help in any way they can. 

Last, but not least, Vampire Weekend took to the main stage. After two action-packed and high energy sets, it was incredibly nice to listen to the indie-rock, afro-pop inspired folksters. As it happens, ‘This Life’ is a beautiful one when you get to finish off a night listening to such a talented band. As a massive blow-up painted earth – inspired by their most recent album’s cover, Father of the Bride – floated around, the huge crowd smashed out every fantastic lyric to ‘Diane Young’ and ‘A-Punk’ with intense love. Surely, day two couldn’t compare to this?!

DAY TWO

Though mostly everyone’s legs were tired from the huge line-up on day one, there was no time to complain or relax. Arriving slightly later yesterday than on Saturday, we kicked off day two with G Flip, who already attracted a large crowd. She was not letting the opportunity slip to show off some drumming skills, and performed a cover of ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl’, which was very fun. 

On the other hand, Dope Lemon swaggered on stage and seduced us all with their indie-alternative vibes, which suited the beautiful Sunday afternoon wonderfully. #1 Dads served similar chilled out vibes, sounding magnificent live, particularly during ‘Return To’. 

Admittedly, before Falls, I was a Lewis Capaldi skeptic. His songs are very melancholic, yet his personality was extremely entertaining. Through his dark sense of humour and sharp self-awareness, I was converted. Not to mention that his voice sounded heavenly live, and even better than in the studio. ‘Someone You Loved’ and ‘Bruised’ from his latest album Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent were, of course, received well.

Where does one start with Matt Corby? That man was born with an angel’s voice, undoubtedly, as well as an angel’s presence which radiated throughout the whole crowd. Every moment was lapped up. The entire band sounded incredible and came together to put on a first-class show of musical talent. Many tracks from his latest album Rainbow Valley were enjoyed, such as ‘Miracle Love’ and ‘No Ordinary Life’, in addition to his most popular classics ‘Resolution’ and ‘Brother’. 

Next up, the legendary duo Disclosure launched the crowd right back into an electronic dance mood. Who doesn’t love a synthesis of house, dubstep and bass, paired with some gorgeous vocals? The crowd definitely did, as the night was danced away to with all of their hits, including ‘You & Me’ (featuring Flume and Eliza Doolittle), ‘Latch’ (featuring Sam Smith) and ‘White Noise’ (featuring AlunaGeorge).

By comparison to Halsey, Sampa the Great attracted a smaller crowd, yet put on a show deserving of one much larger. The Australian-Zambian singer-songwriter and rapper sounded magnificent and powerful live. Providing energy, spirit and sass, the crowd loved every moment, including universal favourites ‘Final Form’ and ‘Freedom’ from her most recent album The Return.

Catching the back-end of Halsey’s set, I appreciated how huge and passionate her audience was with every lyric she sang. Though not personally a fan myself, I heard many raving reviews of her performance, with ‘Without Me’ and ‘Bad At Love’ wrapping up the night on a high. 

Despite not being 100% familiar with every artist, Falls is always such a great experience and a fantastic way to listen to some new and exciting music. The people, music, food, atmosphere and the organisation of it all were outstanding.

I can’t get enough – bring on 2021!