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Venue

The Barracks Precinct, North Head Sanctuary

2095, Manly, NSW, Australia

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Additional details

Doors open: 17:30

Concert in your area for Rock, Indie & Alt, Folk & Blues, and Pop.

Find out more about Rock and Pop.

Ben Folds biography

Ben Folds (born as Benjamin Scott Folds) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Born on 12 September 1966 Ben became involved in music at the age of nine when he took an interest in learning how to play the piano; eventually, he spent his free time in high school playing in various bands as a bassist, pianist, or drummer. During the late 80s Ben teamed up with long time friend Millard Powers to form a band called Majosha; and during their short run, they played gigs around Duke University and put out a self-produced EP called “Party Night:Five Songs About Jesus” in 1988. The band, however, parted ways and Ben eventually signed a publishing deal with Nashville Music and worked as a session musician playing drums.

After spending some time living in Nashville and Miami, Ben moved back to North Carolina and formed Ben Folds Five with bassist Robert Sledge, and drummer Darren Jesse in 1994. The following year the trio released their self-titled debut album, followed by “Whatever And Ever Amen” in 1997. The self-described “punk rock for sissies” band did fairly well, but never reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart despite gaining a large following in the UK and Australia. The band continued to tour and put out albums, but in 2001 the band broke up and Ben pursued a solo career; starting with his first album, “Rockin The Suburbs” released in 2001.

After the release of his first album, he continued to put out more music, with a live album in 2002, followed a year later by two EPs called “Speed Graphic” and “Sunny 16.” He also took part in working on film soundtracks, both as producer as well as arranger and musician for said projects. By 2008 he had released six solo LPs and had gone on many tours around the world. His success in the music industry led to him becoming a judge on the US television singing competition “The Sing-Off,” and remained on for a following three more seasons. By 2011 Ben Folds Five reunited and they released “The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind.”

Lenka biography

Lenka is an Australian singer-songwriter and performer, known for her unique blend of infectious indie-pop and distinctive sound. Formerly a member of the critically acclaimed band Decoder Ring, she has since carved out a solo career spanning two decades, with hit songs like The Show, Trouble Is A Friend and Everything At Once.

Her music has been featured in major films (Moneyball, Easy A, Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging) and TV shows, as well as high-profile ads for brands like Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and Disney. Lenka has also appeared in various Australian TV shows and films in her early acting career, including Working Dog’s The Dish.

A visionary artist, Lenka has independently released critically acclaimed albums like Shadows and The Bright Side, with the Blue Skies Revoke remix gaining over 30 million views on YouTube. Her 8th studio album Good Days, recorded in Sydney with renowned producer Tony Buchen, is released May 29, 2026. Lenka is a seasoned live performer and has toured the globe, reaching fever-pitch fandom in Southeast Asia and China and performing successful shows in the US, Europe and Australia

to support her albums. Her ability to connect with audiences of all sizes, from intimate club gigs to large festival stages, has made her a beloved figure in the indie pop scene.

"Lenka’s gentle tone wraps snugly around folk electronic minimalism and flirts with far grander,

sweeping pop... Blue-skied optimism, fragments of world beat fun, all bouncy and up-beat, glossy and

positive." – Rolling Stone

Live reviews

Ben Folds is the Elton John of the 21st century. Known best for the singles "Battle of Who Could Care Less", "Brick", and "Army" with his bandmates in Ben Folds Five, and "Rockin' The Suburbs", "Landed", and his hilarious cover of NWA's "Bitches Ain't Shit" from his solo career. In concert, Ben always entertains. A gifted, natural performer, he often mixes his songs with jokes, improvisation, and audience participation on several songs.

My first show was about 10 years ago in Houston during his "One Man and his Piano" solo tour, which featured only Ben taking song requests and doing covers for the entire evening.

The next time I would see him would be the reunion of Ben Folds Five with Darron Jessee and Robert Sledge at Stubb's Outdoor in Austin, Texas. Even after almost 15 years of being broken up, the reassembled band didn't miss a beat and sounded better than ever.

You are guaranteed a good time at Ben's shows, solo or with BFF. If you get a chance to see him live, do it. You won't be disappointed.

Report

CrudeBaron

Australian singer-songwriter Lenka performed her own Livestream Sessions concert to promote the release of her "Shadows" album. Upon watching the beginning of the concert, I felt connected to the band due to Lenka's warm welcome. She and her acoustic guitar player, Trey cheerfully greeted and acknowledged the audience. She explained what the audience could expect from their concert, so nothing was left untouched.Lenka was wearing a black sleeveless top with a multicolored floral pattern printed on it.

Her hair was a dark auburn and had the sides pinned back. Her only visible accessories were gold and white heart dangling earrings. Her makeup had a neutral smokiness with a semi-dark pink lip and a little foundation, pale pink-brown eyeshadow, and black eyeliner. Trey was wearing a button-down blue short-sleeve shirt.The venue feels intimate and similar to many other unplugged performances. There does not appear to be an audience in front of her. They are sitting on two stools on a heavily patterned rug.

To Lenka's left is a bright signs with their name and "LIVE" in red lights with shrub decals. There is no background as the slightly purple lighting is only focused on her and Trey, leaving what is behind them mostly in darkness. A few different types of drums can be seen behind Trey. Lenka starts singing her first song and clapping along. After each song, she gives a bit of background about items like how she started, her previous bands, her inspirations for the songs and whole album, and the like. She also answers audience-submitted questions. She then performs "Trouble is A Friend" while playing the keyboard directly in front of her. She also plays songs like "Heart to the Party" and "After the Winter" from her new album with just Trey strumming or tapping on his guitar.

They perform other songs from the album, and then finish their set by waving to the audience.I feel like she is really connecting with me on a personal level due to how she speaks and acknowledges everyone. Her playful insights before and after each song really make her seem fun and personable, which is why I would enjoy watching her perform live. She is not about flash or over-the-top performances but showmanship and kindness towards the audience while putting on a heartfelt concert.

Anonymous