Live Review: Archie Roach

The Perth International Arts Festival may have made a grand setting among Chevron Gardens, but Archie Roach did his best to make the makeshift amphitheatre feel intimate.

The man affectionately known as Uncle Archie nestled himself among the six-piece backing band to treat Perth to a concert brimming with wit, charm and emotion, providing insights to each track and telling his own story.

Opening with the title track from his most recent release, 2016's Let Love Rule, the 61-year-old radiated energy as he strummed through the red, blue and purple lights. The opener became a perfectly fitting theme for the night as Roach continued a message of positivity throughout in a way that feels so distinctly his own. The album plays out magnificently live and is bountiful under the large band sound, whether showcasing the upbeat folk of Spiritual Love and Mighty Clarence River or the heartbreak and hardship of the lonely, keys-driven Please Don't Give Up On Me.

While Roach's songs themselves are shining beacons, the benefit of his live performance is being able to take in the open moments in between, such as during the introduction to the Australian cultural pillar Took The Children Away, when Roach announced, "It's a healing song, what I mean by that is each time I sing it, I let a little bit of that go and one day, when I sing it, I'm going to be free."

Despite having played shows for over three decades now, Roach's performances still feel utterly alive and captivating; his exceedingly relevant songwriting, his frank honesty and his emotive delivery rarely falter, and once again he captured the hearts and minds of this crowd.