Entertainment
30 May, 2026
Sleep is the new awake
AUSTRALIAN musician Ben Lee will bring his 2026 regional tour to Ellis Beach Bar and Grill on 20 June, with the singer-songwriter saying live touring remains “the great equaliser” for artists.
The tour follows Mr Lee’s Awake Is The New Sleep 20th Anniversary Tour and includes more than 60 regional dates across Australia.
Speaking with Cairns Local News, Mr Lee said live performance still offered something audiences could not replicate elsewhere.
“There’s something about, I think, as an audience, why we like artists is because we’re watching a human psyche sort of voluntarily putting themselves under this very strange kind of stress,” he said.
“Everything has become so automated that it almost reduces the stress level, and so you don’t get to see that genuine chemical reaction of what happens like a human being in a sweaty room.”
Mr Lee first emerged as Noise Addict before building a solo career spanning more than 20 albums and collaborating with artists including Ben Folds, Ben Kweller, Margaret Cho and Sarah Silverman.
He said regional touring remained one of the rewards of his success and rejected the idea that established artists should only perform in metropolitan capital cities.
“I consider it one of the rewards of my success that I get to play more places for different kinds of people,” he said.
Mr Lee also praised regional live music venues and promoters for keeping local music scenes alive.
“The passion of the venues is really a bit of a missing link in the conversation about live music,” he said.
“The day-to-day promotion and awareness of that concert often happens because of the venue owner and the promoter in that community, who actually know where to put the flyers up, and who know what the local radio station is and the local newspaper and all that kind of stuff.
“I just think they are a little bit like unsung heroes.”
Mr Lee said fans at Ellis Beach could expect an unpredictable and spontaneous performance.
“I’m standing there with the guitar, and it’s just like, whatever happens, happens,” he said.
Ellis Beach Bar and Grill described the event as part of its latest season of live music, saying it was “where the ocean meets electrifying performances”.
The performance adds another major touring act to the Far North’s live music calendar.
The venue is located at Lot 13 Captain Cook Highway, Ellis Beach, with tickets available through Ellis Beach Bar & Grill channels and online via: www.bit.ly/3QU2RxP
