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Falling in Reverse live at Westfalenhalle Dortmund – Concert Review

  • Writer: L7
    L7
  • Jul 4
  • 4 min read

Updated: Jul 7

Expectations


Before Rock im Park, I barely knew any Falling in Reverse songs—and the few bits I had heard didn’t impress me. I wasn’t planning to see them at all. But then, by pure chance, I watched their set at Rock im Park. I stayed because Korn was playing right after and I wanted to keep my spot. And wow, I did not expect that. Their performance turned out to be one of the absolute highlights of the entire weekend. I kept hearing the songs in my head for days after.


So when a friend in Dortmund mentioned going to their headline show, I thought, why not? Let’s go for it. And spoiler: it was a fantastic decision.


Arrival, Merch & Beer


I traveled from Berlin to Dortmund, checked into my hotel, and then walked to the venue. The Westfalenhalle is super central—just a 20-minute walk from where I was staying. The weather was nice, and after sitting on trains for hours, the walk felt great.


Merch-wise, the selection was pretty similar to what they had at Rock im Park. They had the usual shirts, plus some vinyls, CDs, and signed items like drumsticks and drumheads. But be warned, the prices were steep—100 euros for signed sticks, and 250 for a signed drumhead. Still, I went for the tour shirt. At 50 euros, I hesitated for a moment, but I’m glad I bought it. The fit was perfect, the quality was solid, and the design looked great. Plus, it had the Nürnberg date from Rock im Park on it, so it was a nice little memory combo.


The CDs and vinyls were overpriced as expected—30 euros for a standard CD you’d find for 12 in a shop, and 60 euros for a plain black vinyl that usually costs half that.



Beer was from Brinkhoff’s (if I’m not mistaken), and it was very good. No special Falling in Reverse cups—just a Westfalenhalle-branded one celebrating the venue’s 100th anniversary. One pro tip: skip the packed ground floor kiosks. A friend told me the upper level is always quiet, and sure enough, we went upstairs and didn’t have to wait at all.

Brinkhoff’s beer and the official Westfalenhalle anniversary cup
Brinkhoff’s beer and the official Westfalenhalle anniversary cup

Our Mirage


I hadn’t checked who the support act was, so when Our Mirage started playing, I had no expectations—but they turned out to be really good. If you’re into bands like Bring Me the Horizon, you’ll probably enjoy their style.


At one point, the singer told the crowd that their appearance was completely spontaneous. They weren’t originally scheduled to play, but got a last-minute call asking if they could fill in. They managed to gather the full band—and delivered a great performance. You could tell they’re real pros. I don’t know the full story behind it, but whatever the reason, they were a great choice. The audience clearly enjoyed them too.

Our Mirage live as spontaneous support act in Dortmund
Our Mirage live as spontaneous support act in Dortmund

Falling in Reverse


My seat was dead center in front of the stage, and it honestly felt like watching a movie. When I booked it, I was worried it might be too far back, but the view was perfect. I could see the entire stage and all the band members clearly—no need to rely on the screens.


The stage setup was impressive, with massive screens on each side and a huge main screen in the middle—basically the same setup they used at Rock im Park. I wasn’t expecting them to bring that full production to every stop, but they did.

Falling in Reverse on stage with full production and massive crowd response
Falling in Reverse on stage with full production and massive crowd response

As soon as the band came on, the place exploded. I seriously underestimated how big their fanbase is in Germany. The bassist for this tour was none other than the singer from Bad Wolves, and he wasn’t just playing bass—he handled backing vocals and even took over parts of some songs. He fit in perfectly and added a lot of presence to the stage. A great complement to Ronnie.


The setlist was full of hits. Every song I recognized got me hyped, and even the ones I didn’t know were catchy and energetic. There was fire on nearly every track, and some really creative use of the screens. At one point, Ronnie went backstage while continuing to sing, and a live camera followed him—his performance was shown on the big screen as he moved behind the stage, adding this unexpected, cinematic moment that felt like a music video unfolding in real time. They also used actual music video clips in parts, like the Marilyn Manson feature, and during “Just Like You,” the camera focused on Ronnie as he spoke directly to the audience through the screen. He’s a total showman, and the crowd absolutely loved it.



I was more than happy to be there, and even happier that I made the last-minute decision to grab a ticket. I’ll definitely be there again for the next tour. And if they’re playing anywhere near your city—don’t miss it.


Final Thoughts


A killer night with friends, a surprisingly good support act, and an all-out performance from Falling in Reverse. Add in the Westfalenhalle’s fantastic acoustics and you’ve got the recipe for an unforgettable evening.


If you’ve been skeptical about this band like I was, maybe give them a shot. Whether it’s the music, the production, or just the energy of the crowd—there’s something here worth seeing.


Let’s hope they announce another tour soon!

Falling in Reverse live on stage at Westfalenhalle with full lights and crowd energy
Falling in Reverse live on stage at Westfalenhalle with full lights and crowd energy

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