Review: Marlon Williams at Fremantle Arts Centre
Marlon Williams at Fremantle Arts Centre
w/ Anna Schneider
Friday, March 20, 2026
The beautiful old lunatic asylum, now known as Fremantle Arts Centre, lit up on Friday night to welcome local Walyalup singer-songwriter Anna Schneider and Aotearoa’s music darling Marlon Williams.
Anna opened with her sweet serenades, showcasing songs from her latest release, What’s My Age. One of the standouts was the achingly beautiful Sun, a song Schneider describes as being about loving someone who hurt you. Schneider’s folk sounds were reminiscent of artists such as Julia Jacklin and Clairo, and her song What’s My Age gave gorgeous Faye Webster vibes. Her stunning vocals were tinged with heartache and told stories of kissing and domestic duties. It was difficult to get through her set with dry eyes.
It was an absorbing opening set, but when Marlon Williams arrived, he enticed the audience to immerse themselves completely in the experience. He began his performance with his song Huri te Whenua, an uplifting chant that means ‘turn the soil’ from his latest release Te Whare Tiwekaweka, which translates to English as ‘the messy house’.
It was the first of many tracks from Te Whare Tiwekaweka, an album devoted to using te reo Māori, a project that Williams described as “distinctly new” while connecting him with his ancestors and homeland. Even if many people in the crowd presumably didn’t understand the Maori language, there was a reverence for the unknown lyrics and an undeniable enthusiasm for the music. My Boy got the crowd grooving. “This song is about being friends with your grandparents and how they love you no matter what!” Williams exclaimed. He then went straight into Don’t Go Back, another song from his 2022 release, My Boy.
Five-piece The Yarra Benders, who accompanied Marlon on the tour, seemed very at ease changing instruments, just like Marlon, as he nonchalantly swapped guitar for keys when a song required it. Ben Wooley played some slick bass licks whilst bringing beautiful backup vocals, as did Gus Agars, who kept the beat going on drums. Meanwhile, Dave Khan moved around on keys and guitar and played a mean viola, adding an old-timey country feel to the music.
Marlon was a wonderful performer and a humorous storyteller. He told the crowd about the meaning of a song about the endangered Aotearoa yellow-eyed penguin, or the hoiho. “He’s a great little guy,” Marlon said. “Oh, I sound like Trump!” Marlon launched into an impersonation of Donald Trump that got the crowd giggling. “…anyway, I didn’t come here to talk politics!” Marlon continued.
On the keyboard, Marlon serenaded fans with Nga Ara Aroha, meaning ‘The ways of love’ in English. “Sometimes you are a bell, ringing all the time,” the melancholy song said in te reo Māori. Panaki is a song that means ‘gentle breeze’. Like the title, the song began like a gentle breeze and then built into a more dramatic sound with drums and electric-guitar shredding.
Williams told the crowd, “This next song is a breakup song. I wasn’t going through a breakup at the time; I was just really into the genre.”
“Who would break up with you?” A man called from the crowd. The band leant into the country sound with a lap steel guitar. Kuru pounamu was one of the outstanding songs that resounded with the strength of cultural importance. Between songs, Marlon strummed the guitar and began a rendition of Jeff Buckley’s Lover, You Should Have Come Over, which tapered off as he threw down the sultry rock ballad Vampire again. The excellent roadies took Marlon’s guitar off him so he could strut around the stage for Party Boy.
After a brief walk off stage, Marlon returned to the keyboard for the solo song Beautiful Dress. Of course, the show wouldn’t have felt complete without fan favourites Dark Child and the ultimate heartbreak song Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore, both from William’s 2018 album Make Way For Love. Marlon’s voice of bygone days, along with the Maori language and storytelling, gave a sense of Gothic sublimity to the show. It was sad to hear that Marlon was taking a well-deserved break from touring following his European shows in April, but let’s hope he doesn’t stay away forever.
KYRA SHENNAN
Photos by Adrian Thomson
