Live Review: Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Lee Fields & The Expressions, The Sunshine Brothers, Grace Barbe & Afro-Kreol

The hangovers, it seemed, were not so bad on the first day of 2014 that punters couldn't come out early to see what the Fremantle Arts Centre had to offer up. The centre's courtyard had filled out nicely by the time Grace Barbé & Afro-Kreol had begun to play. A good few in the audience, despite not having the company that would join them later in the evening after a few hair-of-the-dogs, had even at that point started the dancing. It was only natural, of course; Barbé's captivating persona and the band's infectious vibrations couldn't fail to get the people on their feet. 
After a DJ set from Blind Tiger Blues Box, who was playing an incredible selection of tasty tunes throughout the night between sets, The Sunshine Brothers followed up with a set of that dub reggae sound that has made them local legends. Drawing more people to that reserved-for-grooving patch of grass right up the front before the barrier, the Brothers gave their usual cheeky delivery of songs from all three of their albums.
Sadly, Lee Field's voice was under the weather because of a nasty bout of laryngitis. Not that you'd know it if he hadn't announced it. Field's performance was everything it was anticipated to be, the heavyweight soul sensation that he his. Obviously however, the pipes were giving the poor fellow a bit of trouble because his performance was cut short, leaving The Expressions to carry on without him, playing some jazzy soulful instrumental lines in lieu of Field's 'sexual healing'.
Melbourne Ska Orchestra finished up an ideal first day of '14 by marching out one by one, all 26 of them, already playing, with frontman Nicky Bomba singing “Happy New Year!” over and over again into a megaphone. There were pork-pie hats, clunky shoes and sunglasses aplenty as the massing orchestra delivered gem after gem of jump-up-and-down ska dance pieces, sadly cut short by a curfew. So, it was on to the after party!