E N T E R T A I N M E N T
SEVEN
BEN LEE IS PLAYING GIGS AGAIN! DAVE CALLAN Lee’s 2019 album saw him present an album of covers of the songs that influenced him, titled Quarter Century Classics. He covers bands like Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Fugazi and more. ‘At this point of my career, when I pick up a guitar and play a song by me, or any artist, it sounds like a Ben Lee song, so leaning into that and seeing how to best make the song your own and make it comfortable is the best way to do a cover I think.’ Ben Lee is a prolific collaborator. He even managed it during the lockdown when no one could gather. ‘I had been touring before and had all these new songs and was getting ready to go into the studio and record, but I had to shelve it, and then a couple of months in I realised – if I don’t do this now then it won’t happen – this situation is going to last a while. So I started, and came up with a dream list of collaborators and sent them all stems of the song and said “Go to town”. People like Zooey Dechanel, Megan Washington and Money Mark. Basically the record was built like that. Not the way I intended to make it. Ultimately for artists what you expect to happen or want is never actually as interesting as what does happen. What separates artists who can roll over a long time and be a lifetime artist from the ones who basically do it as a hobby is adaptability. ‘The principle was the same, which was why I wanted to do it live – I wanted to be generally surprised by people’s creativity – when they sent tracks back, I had the same response because people made choices I would never have made.’ Improvisation is key for Lee in his creativity. ‘It’s about making friends with chaos. All art is about that. It’s about controlling what you can control and surrendering to what you can’t.’ Ben Lee plays two concerts in the Northern Rivers. And no two shows are ever the same. ‘I have a list of songs, I don’t concoct a set list, and I move with the night. There seems to be a real gratitude for being in a space together.’ Friday 26 March at 7pm at Lismore City Hall. Tickets from lismorecityhall.com.au Saturday 27 March at 7pm at the Brunswick Picture House. Tickets from brunswickpicturehouse.com
Ben Lee kicked his career off in the early ‘90s in his teens – a kid with a knack for hitting the sweet spot. He’s one of those people who rarely know what he’s doing next, but it’s part of his magic; he just listens to the universe and takes instruction. After living in the US for years, it was during COVID that Ben Lee came home with his partner and kids. ‘In LA we were barely going out of the house for the last year. Being around people now is a bit of a shock. We were living amongst the socioeconomic collapse under Trump, the anxiety of that for us and the kids was huge. It was a scary time. The other day I saw my 11-year-old going down the waterslide with other kids and I saw her remember what it is to be a kid again.’
STARS BY LILITH ARIES: Now your inner spark, sexy swagger and flaming firepower’s back blazing with full force, this is the week to debut new initiatives. With Mars in your communication zone and Saturn in your teamwork house, some heavy-duty collaborators are already circling, keen to get on board the Aries express. TAURUS: You usually crave for things to be stable, but with this week’s Venus in glamazon transit, excitement’s suddenly inviting. Although this frisky fiesta is known to provoke outbursts and sudden change, full moon spotlighting Team Taurus and your backup support crew is an opportune time to address any issues.
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AND DANCERS BRING COMEDY DANCE SPECTACULAR TO BYRON Does the idea of a large hairy viking recreating classic music video clips live on stage tickle your giggle bone? If so, then the multimedia extravaganza A Little Less Conversation is a show not to be missed. After years on the circuit as a stand up comedian Dave got bored with just chatting for an hour every night. He wanted to find a way to deliver a schmicko show that surprised his crowd. That’s how A Little Less Conversation was born. ‘The joke is that I have to nail it,’ says Callan. ‘All these routines – I’m doing them properly, but obviously because of the way my body is, I’m a bit unco anyway.’ Callan dances to Britney, to Rihanna with umbrellas – it’s really something. A Little Less Conversation is structured as a demonstrative journey through the history of dance, and the interwoven stand-up segments are designed to add further insight to the narrative. ‘I talk about iconic dances through time. I talk about The Twist. I talk about Michael Jackson doing the Moonwalk for the first time and segue into talking about why he has to grab his dick so much. You’ve got to sneak dick jokes in, so it’s great to have a theme that will allow you to do that.’ Dave Callan is the Irish born star of Triple J radio and original Rove cast member. He is also recognisable from his appearances on Spicks and Specks, The Comedy Festival Gala and the adventures of the Good News Week cast. He is currently a regular on Good Game on ABC 2. He has performed at the Edinburgh Festival and toured Britain, South East Asia, the U.S. and vast sprawl of the empire of Hobart. You might have seen Dave, but until you’ve seen A Little Less Conversation, you ain’t seen nuthin! Dave Callan and his dancers present A Little Less Conversation at The Byron Comedy Festival on Saturday 15 May at 9pm. For more program information go to www.byroncomedyfest.com
Sun, Venus and Chiron in the sign of drive, motivation and movement direct this week’s full moon energy towards healing and reconciliation……
GEMINI: With the Sun in your collaborative eleventh house heating up involvement with groups and teamwork for the coming month, this week says it’s time to step away from the grind and get back in touch with your social network, from colleagues to friends to those new contacts you’ve been meaning to follow up. CANCER: Issuing its once-ayear invitation to gather your tribe, this week’s beautifying full moon suggests reconnecting with your clan or family. It’s also the perfect time to give your homebase Crab casa some love – to make it more harmonious and serene, with gratitude for the comfort and refuge it provides.
LEO: The word heart has an ear embedded in its centre. If you’ve been holding back on having The Talk, listening could be key to clearing the air during this week’s conflictresolving full moon, which supports compromise over competition, and co-operation over self-interest. You’ll need to be considerate, compassionate and patient, though... VIRGO: . This week first impressions are likely to count, so make sure yours are impressive: not really a hard ask with weekend Virgo moon giving you Mercurians a dazzling lunar liftoff. When the full moon follows right after in your house of money honey, something you’ve been working on could finally pay off.
LIBRA: The current partnership theme continues as this week’s lovely Libra full moon for 2021 shines on a reset of harmony and equilibrium with loved ones, and in business partnerships, over differences of opinion. With gracious and diplomatic Venus in Aries, you’ll be able to express your needs in a way that deepens bonds.
SAGITTARIUS: The Sun and Venus in passionate fellow fire sign Aries revive your lively mojo, and conciliatory full moon could get you back on the same page with loved ones – if you can avoid the drama hook. Been feeling stifled? This is the week to ask yourself: What does freedom look like to me right now?
SCORPIO: Full moon in your astrological sector of endings and transitions brings a big let-go of something that’s been lingering for a long time in the work scenario, so that you can move into the next phase of This Is Your Scorpio Life. Don’t let big changes drain your batteries though: avoid burnout through extra self-care.
CAPRICORN: End-of-month full moon is likely to find you in a decisive state of mind, keen to clarify where you stand and how you want to progress from here. A clue? Balance and boundaries are necessary between personal and professional worlds, with this week’s big no-no being to bring work stresses into the home zone.
AQUARIUS: With Jupiter boosting your luck and Saturn steadying your aim, this week’s buoyant full moon lighting up your astral areas of optimism, expansion, adventure, entrepreneurship and personal growth could be a recipe for reinvention, so take your pick. Try not to be too blunt, controversial or provocative though – channel that inner diplomat. PISCES: Tempers may flare this week if people (that includes you) feel overstressed and under-supported. Misinformation’s rife as well, so watch whom you trust with what. Surrendering to the power of planning without worrying about it cramping your spontaneous style could be a good strategy for navigating this week’s potentially tempestuous waters.
lëſĈIJ ǩǫǽ ǩǧǩǨ The Byron Shire Echo 25