Live Review: Lee Fields & The Expressions, Zillanova

Playing it a touch soft but also totally sweet, Melbourne's Zillanova sound a little like an obscure piece of scratched-up vinyl some obsessed crate digger has pulled from out of nowhere. It's only when we turn our attention to the stage that it becomes clear a band is actually playing. As it happens, this is the first gig Zillanova have ever played. They don't have too many tunes to play for us but they charm with their distinctly old-fashioned soul sounds of yesteryear. Jess Harlen provides guest vocals on The Time It Takes recreating her performance on the B-side of the Suicide 7” Zillanova released last year on Melbourne's illustrious Hope Street Recordings. A funky cover of Sunshine Of Your Love energises the crowd and brings their set to an end.
Perhaps a late bloomer, Lee Fields' recent albums such as Faithful Man and My World have finally brought him the success that tunes he recorded many decades ago never quite managed to achieve. It's a story that echoes Charles Bradley's recent popularity and reaffirms the timeless appeal of old school soul. Fields is a funk soul brother who has survived the years with a voice that has not diminished with age. Resplendent in a bright red dinner jacket, Fields approaches us with a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face that suggests he's here to entertain. He warms us up with the aptly titled Still Hanging On and I Still Got It before embarrassing a few of the ladies in the front row with Ladies. “I know your man's satisfied,” he tells a young woman old enough to be his daughter, much to the amusement of the crowd. Fields soon takes us back to the '70s with the ghetto fabulous Fought For Survival. As Fields moves through a hugely enjoyable set, it is apparent that he has only improved with age and knows exactly how to deal out sweet soul perfection. The Expressions are a fresh-faced boy band from Brooklyn who understand soul and give Fields the tight arrangements his voice deserves. They prove that white boys can be funky, but their rather bored, expressionless faces act as a foil to Fields' unfettered exuberance. Cracking covers of Ohio Players' Here Today And Gone Tomorrow and Moonlight Mile by The Rolling Stones are highlights as are Faithful Man and Honey Dove, which bring down the night.
It's amazing to think that Fields has been doing this since he was a teenager back in '69. We can only hope that he continues to delight audiences for many more years to come.