Ben Lee

Some people have the luxury to deal with their depression as an existential ailment, and seek a cure in eastern religions, with Ben Lee being a prime example. I like Ben Lee. As a musician, I'd count him as someone whose tunes I like and find catchy. It's his personality and cultural depth that put in a more beloved realm for me. Whereas other Australian based musicians whose work I love, have inevitably dabbled in mind altering substances (The Church, members of the Birthday Party, Paul Kelly etc), Ben Lee has sought adventures abroad and embraced spiritualism. As my husband and I watched "Catch my Disease" (a film documentary that was screened by the ABC last night), we each felt slightly cringey about Ben's earnestness. It was sweet, but also slightly vulnerable, how much he had embraced his guru and his spiritual path. He did have the air of a convert or born again, but who was I to mock it? Had I experienced it for myself by being there and living that lifestyle? The cynicism we displayed wasn't so much about the cure received (for having a spiritual purpose and faith is a bedrock), but the need for an affluent world weary westerner to adopt all the rituals (flower petals etc) to "feel it", to get there. I just can't explain it, so it was hard to not be there and go through that, only see it portrayed by Ben Lee and his wife getting henna painted and dressed up in flowers and local attire... Anyway, he's happy now and they live in a beautiful Californian house with a pool and trampoline and they're consciously living the dream.

(As an aside, the film showed some hilarious footage of Winona Ryder unconvincingly saying she was happy Ben Lee had found love).  He's a generous performer, he will banter with his audience in a genuine manner so that they feel as though they've had an interaction, he's spontaneous, he handles potential hecklers with graciousness, he's a cheer squad for his peers, he just wants to share his personal loves and interests with an audience.