Celebration of a soul survivor MUSIC Bobby Womack Hamer Hall, Melbourne Arts Centre, May 21. AT the end of the 1970s, American rock critic Greil Marcus critiqued the wanton use of the term "survivor" in music industry discourse. The word, Marcus asserted, said more about the industry's confected celebration of hedonism and mediocrity than it did about the artists who avoided the fate of many of their contemporaries. Marcus's critical observations notwithstanding, Bobby Womack is a survivor. With his career and life generally threatened by a once-heavy cocaine habit, and more recently by a bout with cancer, Womack fits within Marcus's limited acceptance of the description. The title of Womack's acclaimed comeback record, The Bravest Man in the Universe, released last year, suggests Womack considers his resilience to be even more impressive. Clad in black leather trousers and coat, and a peaked cap casting a shadow over his weathered features, Womack is still replete with on-stage charm. The set opened with Across 110th Street, the theme song for the 1972 blaxploitation film of the same name. Womack paid tribute to Blur singer Damon Albarn, who produced his 2012 album; Womack's extended performance of the title track a few songs later allowed his band the opportunity to showcase its considerable instrumental, percussive and vocal talents (the latter including Womack's daughter GinaRe). Womack dipped again into the recent past for Deep River, before returning to the start of his career with the Valentinos' Lookin' for a Love. Later, the call-and-response of A Change is Gonna Come paid tribute to the Valentinos' lead singer Sam Cooke. A version of Woman's Gotta Have It harked back to the dawn of Womack's solo career in early 70s soul; Jesus Be a Fence Around Me located Womack within the gospel tradition. After 1 1/4 hours on stage, Womack seemed to be tiring, and the end of the set came somewhat prematurely. The sustained cheers of the audience for an encore stretched for almost five minutes before a rousing introduction from one of the band's support crew saw the band strike up, in anticipation for Womack's return to the stage. The finale, I Can Understand It, was poignant: the band was as sharp as Womack's career has been long, and the singer did everything in his power to raise the spirits of the crowd. On this night Womack proved he's the bravest survivor in soul music. Bobby Womack performs at the Sydney Opera House as part of Vivid Live tomorrow and Saturday. Tickets: $62.60-$92.60. Bookings: 132 849 or online.