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Musicians add to the mayhem of single launch at Perth Amplifier Bar

Victoria RificiEastern Reporter

BENNY Mayhem lead singer and former Erskine resident Ben Watson returned to his roots to play his new single Bulwer Street Waltz at Mandurah’s Monkey Bar.

Watson said he remembered performing his first gig at Mandurah’s Boathouse Tavern when he was 18.

“I started out in Mandurah completing a music course at Tafe and the logical step was to relocate to Perth,” he said.

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“I’ve completed 700 performances and toured 11 countries in seven years as a solo artist and with the band.”

Watson is no stranger to the Peel region.

“I’m a pretty regular visitor to Mandurah as I have family down here and I even busk sometimes,” he said.

“It’s not until you come back you realise how amazing the natural environment is.”

Watson said the lyrics to the new single were about an influential time in his life when he was getting his musical bearings.

“They were really hard years,’’ he said.

“I had to move from Mandurah to Perth and the new single is about those days living the adventure.”

The band has already toured both Australia and the UK.

Watson said touring internationally was a surreal experience.

“I recently returned from Europe, where I did the Rebellion Festival at Blackpool,’’ he said.

“People from all over the world were there and I was the only Australian performing.”