Live Review: Lee Fields & The Expressions, Tank & The Bangas

Much like the wonderful, sadly departed Charles Bradley, who deployed an almighty set on a willing Perth Festival crowd some years ago, Lee Fields & The Expressions traversed both nostalgia and currency with their take on the timeless soul sound. Just a few years shy of his 70th birthday, Fields possesses the same kind of vibrancy and enthusiasm that made Bradley such a dynamic performer. Releasing his first album in 1979, he has been prolific since, and tonight's performance drew from both distant and recent records.

Kicking off early, The Expressions showcased their instrumental skills before being joined by the charming Fields and they immediately had a festive crowd shaking hard on a beautifully balmy night. Perhaps not an obvious act to close Chevron Gardens, there was no doubting the band's ability to sweep everyone up in the celebratory vibe. Having come off a packed European tour, the band was predictably tight and focused, and laid the platform for Fields to showcase his magnetic voice that has drawn obvious comparisons to James Brown.

Like Bradley, much of the appeal in watching a performer like Fields is basking in the fact that he is now, after so many years of hard graft, getting his due. These are men who worked hard and performed harder, never losing sight of the flint that would spark their just desserts. Of course, the supreme quality of the songwriting just makes it that much easier to enjoy, and tracks like Special Night, Faithful Man and the newly written Time were nothing short of euphoric.

Tank & The Bangas had a difficult act to follow, but they were assisted by an impending public holiday and a crew that were showing no signs of slowing down. Displaying significantly more theatrics, Tank & The Bangas were effervescent and alluring, and smacked this year's edition of Chevron Gardens line-ups blissfully into the night.