For some Gold Coasters, 'Ben Lee' aka 'Beenleigh' is the next exit if you are heading north on the M1 and have just passed Yatala.
For the rest of us, Ben Lee is an Aussie singer-songwriter who has been part of the musical landscape since the late '90.triple j's Hottest 100 for 1998 was a great celebration of Australian music with numerous Aussie acts in the top twenty (42 out of the 100 songs were Australian artists). Regurgitator and Grinspoon were recently on the Coast and Custard will visit in December. Coming in at #2 in was Ben Lee with 'Cigarettes Will Kill You'. Let's just ignore the fact #1 was 'Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)' and put it down to the late '90s being a different time.
Gold Coast Ben Lee fans find ourselves at Miami Marketta on a Saturday night (23 November). The cigarettes have been replaced with vapes and Ben is here delivering a much-needed dose of positive energy.
With the release of a new album ('This One's For the Old Headz') Ben has added to his repertoire and there are now decades of songs that could make it into tonight's show. It is always interesting to see what will be thrown in the mix.
The choice of a support band was a bit of a mystery until I arrived at the venue. The line-up (printed near the entrance) showed that 'Parker' would be opening for Ben.
A quick bit of research informed me PARKER was a Gold Coast-based performer who combines '80s vibes with infectious melodies topped off with a surf-rock feel. Tonight, PARKER would be performing as a duo. He handled vocals and guitar duties with Augi on the keyboard.
PARKER - image © Radical Imaging Photography
PARKER's song 'Local Paradise' was the standout moment for me, with the lyrics taking me back to the short period of time I had spent in Gold Coast suburb Palm Beach. Talk of the Maccas near 19th Avenue and the 765 bus route took me back to the time my flatmate pawned my Nirvana CDs while I was at work (too much information?).
The rest of his set delivers those 80s vibe, catchy lyrics and songs that showcases his undeniable talent and charisma. I look forward to hearing more from this up-and-coming artist.
The stage was then set up for Ben Lee's set. A single mic stand sat in the middle and colourful graphics pronouncing 'Ben Lee, Ben Lee, Ben Lee......' lit up the stage and re-enforced that our dose of 'Positive Energy' was on its way.
Ben Lee - image © Radical Imaging Photography
I scribbled random notes into a notebook during the show. One of those notes just says 'Carebears'. Ben received the memo about the '80s vibe as he enters the stage wearing a purple jumper with the word 'happiness' and dancing Care Bears.
With an electric guitar and microphone, Ben would take us on a journey through his musical career so far. We would get a taste of Ben's most successful album with four tracks from 'Awake Is The New Sleep' with 'Gamble Everything For Love', 'Into The Dark', 'We're All In This Together' and 'Catch My Disease' spread throughout the set.
Ben admits there is no actual set list tonight. We're encouraged to yell out names of the deep cuts that only die-hard fan would know (Whether they would actually be played was another matter). One of the requests was a cover song that required audience participation in the form of a Google lyric search and the phone being held up as Ben sings.
We get a taste of 1998's 'Breathing Tornados' as we are told of the dangers of smoking. Jump to the 2022 album 'I'm Fun!' stamped with the 'explicit content' warning and we are told how he was 'Born For This Bullsh.t'.
Ben Lee - image © Radical Imaging Photography
The 2007 album 'Ripe' has Ben asking the crowd to 'Love Me Like The World Is Ending'. Amongst the nostalgia we are treated to a serving of 'Positive Energy' from the latest release.
It is a great celebration of Aussie rock and the Australian music scene that lets one man and his guitar entertain a crowd on a Saturday night with interesting lyrics and a bit of silly banter thrown in. It is a wild ride when Ben comes to town and "that's the way I like it". Na-na-na-na, na-na-na!
More photos from the concert.
