Revamped Fremantle Venue Outlines Plan To Build Scene

Over the past decade there's been a bit of a lull in what used to be the vibrant art scene of central Fremantle, according to Norfolk Hotel bar manager and The Odd Fellow booker Phil Thompson.

Thompson played a big role in renovations to the venue's band room, Norfolk Basement – now The Odd Fellow - at the end of last year, and believes they've attributed to a rise in traffic through the area.

“I've always likened the Norfolk and [The Odd Fellow] as that little breeding ground of culture,” Thompson said. “It's probably only just in the last year that it's felt like it's been on the upswing.

“It just felt like some of the good things had either been forced out or moved out of Fremantle because of the rent and everything got so high…it's coming back around and Freo's on an upswing as a whole.”

Through renovations, the stage layout has been improved, and a bar, with a selection of around 300 spirits at any one time, is the first thing to greet punters as they venture downstairs.

The walls have been stripped back to the original stonework to pay homage to the room's original 1887 layout, and Norfolk Basement was renamed The Odd Fellow, in memory of The Norfolk Hotel's original name, OddFellowHotel.

The main goal of the renovations was to create a better atmosphere and stronger community. A month-long residency from Abbe May and weekly DJ sets from San Cisco's Scarlett Stevens has started building up such community and have sparked interest from international tours.

“To see a gig like the Holy Fuck gig in a space like that, there's a sort of intensity that you don't see everywhere else. I've seen some gigs down there that are just amazing, off the hook.”

That's not to say there aren't already areas of Fremantle that have locked onto similar facets. In fact, it was certain bars in North Fremantle, and some in Northbridge and Mt Lawley that influenced The Odd Fellow's renovations.

“I always look to somewhere like Mojo's where you would just go, regardless of who's on, to just hang out there…I learned from that. It's important to have great live music but making it a decent place to hang out is equally important so that's what we're trying to do downstairs. You can turn up not knowing what's on and still be happy to have a drink there.”

All pics by Ashley Westwood.