Seeing Benjmain Clementine perform in Adelaide might have been a once in a lifetime experience

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Adelaide was the first stop for the Australian leg of Benjamin Clementine’s Back to Basics tour; and at the Dunstan Playhouse last Thursday night Benjamin had the audience enthralled and entranced for the whole 90 minutes. Even in the silences, the audience sat with bated breath, hanging on for what would happen next.

Photo of Benjamin Clementine, Photo credit: Neasan McGuinness — Photo credit: Neasan McGuinness

Dressed in his signature trench coat and dark glasses, Benjamin takes to the piano barefoot, a contrast to the fine tailoring of his fitted coat. But Benjamin is a man of many contrasts. Softly spoken when addressing the audience, his singing voice soars way above the lofty heights of the Dunstan Playhouse. His singing voice is operatic at times and you almost find it hard to believe the man with such a soft-spoken voice is capable to such powerful and high notes. The glasses are removed a few songs into the set as Benjamin warms up to his first Australian audience.

It is rare for a live concert to sound as perfect as it does on the album but right from the moment Benjamin started the concert launching into the familiar “you’ve seen me here before” from Condolence, the same perfection that exists in his live voice was palpable. The only thing that was missing here was the other backing instruments as just as the name of the tour suggests, Back to Basics is about Benjamin and his piano.

London truly showcases the versatility and talent of Benjamin Clementine’s voice, whether it be the control in his voice or the high soaring notes. With Adios and its familiar refrain, The decision is mine, Benjamin’s fingers seemingly play the piano faster than we can imagine while maintaining his slow soaring vocals in the verse and showcasing his operatic soprano highs in the angels bisous (kisses in French) interlude. When hearing him sing this interlude in an operatic, choral voice, one can’t help but feel that Benjamin Clementine would be equally at home on an opera stage as solo pared back with his piano like he is here.

While it’s common to talk about set design in a theatrical production, it’s often overlooked when talking about music and for Benjamin Clementine’s Back to Basics show it must be spoken about. It’s a seemingly minimalist setting, with the three walls of the stage curtained off by white floor to ceiling curtains, and a white grand piano centre stage at which Benjamin sits, plays and sings. For much of the show the lighting too is minimalist, two spots shining white light upon Benjamin and the piano’s keys. At other times, the stage is also illuminated by three horizontal bar lights at the bottom of the back of the stage. The lighting is very intentional, allowing us to peer into Benjamin’s heart and eventually opening up fully to us.

And as he opens up to us, he begins engaging with the audience between songs talking about the astounding length of the flight to come here and how he’s never previously seen sunrise and sunset in the same day in his life before it. Benjamin Clementine delivers a monologue about a man who marries, has kids, followed by separation and hardly seeing the children any more before performing Rudy Rockingberg with the refrain “Nothing is final, nothing is final, everything is gonna be fine”. When he asks the audience to help him out with that section and we do, we assume him saying “20 more times” is a joke but it really isn’t. Among amusement the audience fully embraces singing this refrain for Benjamin.

It’s quite a feat to get a bunch of strangers to do something for you, but to have them do it 20+ times without stopping in protest is even more impressive. While for Adelaide audiences who are seeing Benjamin Clementine for the first time this would have been surprising, Benjamin Clementine has been using repetition and the audience participation “as a way to carrying the sentence until the sentence can carry you back”. This sad song becomes a shared experience and one with a message offering hope.

Benjamin Clementine surprises the audience with some improv in reaction to the startling number of people leaving and re-entering the theatre during his concert. [Side note: I have no idea what the audience had going on Thursday night but I have never seen so many people need to go to the loo during a 90 minute show].

Sadly, for Australian audiences, who are only getting to see Benjamin Clementine for the first time, this may be the very last time that we do as he has made the announcement that he is pursuing acting opportunities following his role in Dune 2. We feel truly lucky to have been able to witness his incredible artistry here in Adelaide on Thursday night. Musically, he is a true triple threat with great talent in songwriting, on piano and in song, and he held us captivated both in the music and in his purposeful silences throughout his entire performance.