An awesomely sunny day and the chance to wear a pair of seriously comfy harem pants while on the job was a great start to the all day West Coast Blues and Roots Festival. Better yet was having most of the crowd sitting for it courtesy of Murdoch University’s recyclable cardboard chairs. The festival has fast grown a reputation for being an event that doesn’t leave you physically and mentally exhausted by the final act. It’s also an event that ties together people of all ages and walks of life in their love of good music and sweet guitar riffs.

So I was looking forward to a cruisy day beginning with Newton Faulkner whose music always puts a smile on my face. At this point in the day there were few intent on forming anything close to a moshpit so the sweet sounds of Faulkner’s acoustic guitar radiated well across Fremantle Park. Crowds sunk into a comfortable reverie for tunes like If This Is It and Dreamcatch Me. Even I stopped in my tracks for his cover of Massive Attack ft Portishead’s Teardrop which couldn’t have been executed better. I love that song. However once I got into the swing of things I realised how difficult it would be to navigate the festival - the area seemingly not big enough to fit the audience it attracted.

Ok so I couldn’t figure out where the Park stage was at first and thought maybe it was a mistake on the map until I somehow got swept up in the crowd heading toward the Angus and Julia Stone gig up next. Luckily for me that was exactly the gig I was looking for and it was running behind schedule. I hadn’t heard much from these guys before so I didn’t know what to expect, but they certainly put on an intense set. Julia’s throaty vocals kept crowds enthralled through her more emotional efforts and brother Angus was equally as intense for his contribution to the show. Photographing the festival meant I couldn’t stick around for the entire gig so it wasn’t until later I found out The Pixies (can you believe it?!) joined them on stage for their final song. Gutted I missed it.

The initial delay for Angus and Julia Stone meant having to madly dash through crowds to get to the Ozomatli gig, but once there the knocks and bumps were worth it for the showmanship from this seven-piece outfit. They really put on an interesting show with their unlikely mix of Latin, hip hop and rock inspired tunes. Hearing a fast-paced rap piece followed by a heavy trumpet solo isn’t something you see every day. Neither is having the entire band launch themselves into the crowd to create a marching band procession. These guys were a real entertaining gig and kept fans eager through the transition from early acts to the headliners.

At 5.20 I had to make the difficult choice between photographing the main stage act Buddy Guy or catching the eclectic act Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. In the end I compromised and caught some snaps of Guy (who is ridiculously talent on the guitar by the way) and then raced over to the ‘Theatre Stage’ to catch the talents of the latest addition to my iPod. The Magnetic Zeros was by far the most enjoyable act of the day. Vocalists Alex Ebert and Jade Castrinos have such a touching rapport on stage while also both carrying their own vibrant presence. It was difficult to know which one to watch as Ebert shuddered around the stage with eyes wide and arms outstretched to his audience, and in the meantime Castrinos worked a tambourine like you wouldn’t believe. The girl sure has the ‘it-factor’. Whether she was dancing around the stage in her own zone or dropped to her knees belting it out on her microphone, Castrinos was captivating to the end. I only really recognised key tracks 40 Day Dream and Home but that didn’t matter at all because I spent the entire set dancing up a storm anyway.

On the home stretch was homeboys the John Butler Trio which, while I may not be their hugest fan, was an amazing display of musicianship. While we grooved out to the big hits like Zebra and Better Than, the trio threw in extreme jams on the drums and guitar to flesh out the set. Most of the crowd took the chance to stretch their legs for the John Butler Trio show and spent most of it dancing and enjoying what was heading toward the end of the festival.

Finishing up the night for most was headliners Crowded House who came with a mission to raise the roof on the roofless arena. Not only the band but the crowd could be heard singing along to the hits that defined an era, all around Fremantle Park and right the way down the street. They may not be quite in their prime anymore but Crowded House sure know how to rock the hell out of a set and keep crowds hanging on their every resonating note.

The festival ended on a massive high and few things could be faulted for the day. Perhaps next time it might be better to stick to a bigger venue since overcrowding became quite an issue toward the end of the day. However the patient crowd kept in high spirits throughout the festival. 2010’s West Coast Blues and Roots Festival was certainly a happy surprise having never attended in previous years. I’m not the hugest fan of the music genre but I admit I’m looking forward to attending next year’s effort.

By Nikkita Dixon