Ben has played some big gigs in 2025, supporting some absolute Aussie Legends along the way. It started on February 1st when Ben was asked to open a show for none other than Richard Clapton. Yes… the Richard Clapton who has been compared with Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen and Van Morrison. The same guy whose songs have been described as “touchstones on the Aussie rock landscape”. The singer/songwriter who has released over 20 albums, which have cumulatively sold over one million copies and who has been inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. (No pressure.)
In Ben’s own words: “This was going to be the coolest show I’d ever played and when I got to the venue, I have to say I was overwhelmed by the sheer scope of it. 10 minutes before I was supposed to play, there were 300 people lined up outside the door waiting to get in. It was an insane experience… one I’ll never forget.
“The room was HUGE and the sound was superb and everyone was so lovely. Richard himself and his entire band all made me feel welcome… like I belonged and shouldn’t feel out of place. Of course I knew of Richard and had always loved ‘Girls on the Avenue’, but it wasn’t until that night that I realised just how big he is.
“I received a really good response to my set, then sat back and watched a master at work. Richard is still a great performer and the vibe in the room was awesome. The band was great too as the hits rolled on… ‘Deep Water’; ‘Capricorn Dancer’… it was a very surreal experience.”
Two months later, it was time for another big support, this time for Aussie Pub Rock Legends, The Radiators at The Colonial Hotel in Werrington. This was a very different vibe in ‘Radiators Territory’ for a boy from Belrose on the beaches.
“It was still quite overwhelming”, said Ben, “but the Clapton gig had prepared me for another big show. I did have some prior concerns about the disparity in genres between my songs and theirs, but amazingly, the audience was still receptive during my set.
“Again I got to watch a great band perform and the vibe was just so upbeat. The crowd went insane when they played ‘Comin’ Home’ and ‘No Tragedy’. Very cool.”
More recently on November 1st, Ben was asked to support Alex Lloyd a little closer to home, in Avalon. Alex is of course one of Australia’s most successful singer-songwriters, who had a string of hit albums, a Triple J Hottest 100-winning song and had played sold out shows around the country. However after dealing with personal issues and a chronic injury, Alex had been out of the limelight for a while. He was now back and had just released his first new studio album in 12 years, ‘Echoes of Home’. Ben tells it like this: “I turned up at the venue just as Alex was finishing his soundcheck. I was immediately blown away by his voice – insanely good.
“He’s a really nice guy too. He said hi and offered to share his green room with me and after my soundcheck, we chatted for 20 minutes or so about music and how he still loves playing live, even after so many years.
“Again, I got a great reception from the crowd and then got to sit back and watch a really talented songwriter play solo to an adoring crowd.
“These were three great experiences for me – the standout gigs of 2025. I’m really looking forward to more opportunities like these in the New Year.”