Like most young Australians who listen or have listened to Triple J, I have always known who Ben Lee was but I didn't really know him till last night. Before Awake is the New Sleep was released and he scooped the Arias, he was just the young Sydney guy, out in the background doing his own thing, who released his first solo album when he was what 16/17?, went out with Claire Danes for ages, got his start with the likes of Sonic Youth and the Beastie Boys. Sure his 1999 album Breathing Tornados was a huge success and Cigarettes Will Kill You is one song we can all sing/hum, but Awake is the New Sleep changed all that, all of a sudden he was everywhere and on all the radio stations and even though I didn't real know his songs, I was so proud of him and his band for surprising us all. So like any new discovery/re-discovery, I headed back to the beginnings and started listening to the early stuff and wondered why I had not started earlier, I have known who is was since what 1998 but it took me to 2005 to actually start getting into him. I don't know. Perhaps it is the swing I am noticing in my tastes to music for which the focus is the vocals not how loud or fast the lead guitarist can play.
But back to the actual point of the story, so last night two of my bestest buds who previously didn't know each other but are chumming it up now and I met at The Arena to see Ben Lee, Sparkadia and a solo artist who I can't recall the name of. Both the support acts were fantastic and then came Ben and the band :), for what was to be one night of a big sing-a-long, Patience from The Grates popping in for a song, lots of happiness and pure fun, chatting about songs, playing songs from all the records and lots of flowers :) ( I thought they were fake but when I got one at the end I was like, hey these are real!!is, which is currently in a flower press :) because that my friend will be one hell of a scrapbook page).
As a final little act, I can solemnly say that I have never acted like a boy crazy adolescent girl in my life before but it is safe to say last night that changed, I swear he is getting cuter and cuter as he gets older and it has to be noted, we do share the same birthday albeit seven years apart :)
30 mins later on the Helen Door to Door drop off we were still singing along, 15 hours later, I can assure you that we (Helen, Andrea and Sam) still have big grins plastered on our faces :)
Click on any photo to see a larger version
Ben Lee |
Patience of the The Grates and Ben Lee |
The oh so Ben, Ben Lee Pose |
Ben and Lara doing their thing |
ok, I am going turn around for a minute, you will clap and cheer,I will turn around and play a stack more songs. |
Sing-a-long with me |
I suddenly realised, we're all in this together! |
my ticket and my daisy |