It’s a nostalgic premise, having a pop singer known for his sincere songs and emotive stage presence appear in front of audience, backed by a full symphony orchestra. It was a romantic homage to music that The Brat Packers of yesteryear, like Frank Sinatra, indulged in for maximum musical impact. But that’s not to say it’s overrated – no, quite the opposite really. It’s something more sublime, an experience that, at its heart, is the essence of good old fashioned pop.
Of course, modern day crooner Ben Lee is no stranger to singing along with an orchestra. Last year saw him set out on a series of successful concerts backed by the respective symphony orchestras of Queensland and South Australia. Like all good things should, the grand display kicked off in WA, where his national tour will once again begin when he returns to sing with WA’s Symphony Orchestra (WASO) in August.
‘I loved it,’ Lee told OUTinPerth of last year’s dates, the line surprisingly clear as chats from his LA pad, ‘but it was one of those things where I didn’t quite know what to expect. I got a certain amount of nerves beforehand, but it was really liberating. And since then I’ve done it with the Brisbane Symphony and Adelaide Symphony and now I’m just feeling a little more comfortable being on stage with 50 other people. So I’m just looking forward to getting back and doing it again in Perth with some new arrangements.’
Lee is his usual laid back self, not bad for a newly married man and expecting father. Of the wedding to his wife, Ione Skye, in India last December, Lee describes their choice of location as having ‘felt like the right way to start our lives together’. When he mentions the impending birth of his daughter, due at the end of September, he becomes a little profounder, describing the experience as being akin to ‘camping… or getting back to nature’.
It’s this laissez faire vibe which sees Lee become somewhat of a larrikin when on stage. At last years concert he stopped proceedings for the co-writer of a song, so she could hear how their piece had been arranged. And it’s this restless rebellious streak which is sure to make his WASO appearance enjoyable – Lee the disruption to conductor Brett Kelly’s symphonic order.
‘In a lot of ways it’s quieter on stage than being with a rock band because you’re using more natural sound. For me, I’m used to a looser thing, where I can change the structures around on the fly and change the order of songs and muck around. With this it’s more of a production, but I’ve been able to find my own space where I can inject chaos into the show.
‘Because Brett Kelly, the conductor, and I have developed a certain amount of trust between us, I feel I can try and undermine the orchestra, but within certain bounds. I know that he’s there for me. It’s like… you jump and you know that there is a net there for you.’
Lee’s forthcoming musical leap will, naturally, feature a selection of songs from his latest album, The Rebirth of Venus, including such ditties as Pop Music, Sing, and What’s So Bad. But beyond that, the scoop of possibility is endless. After all, Ben Lee is a fusion of old school pop singers, rambunctious and eager like a young Sinatra yet chilled out with the scope and spirituality of a Sgt Pepper Beatle. A heady mix, but one Lee is sure to use to full extent when he appears on stage with WASO.
Ben Lee appears with WASO on August 27 – 29 at The Perth Concert Hall. Tickets are available now through WASO’s website, www.waso.com.au, or you can win yourself a double pass to this event by registering online at OUTinPerth giveaways, www.www.outinperth.com.
Scott-Patrick Mitchell
