How Joel (and Benji) met Ben Lee

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2. The Voice: Joel and Ben we’d love to hear how you became friends.
   
   Joel: When Ben & I met for the first time, I kind of forced myself on him.
   
   Ben: It was non consensual (laughs). It was the tenacity of his will, when your starting out as a musician you’ve got to have that.
   
   Joel: It was in DC in 1998 or 1999 and Benji (Madden) and I were just so hungry to be heard. It was when Ben Lee had released his third album so we were huge fans by then. We went to his concert and snuck backstage and were like “Ben we love you, we had a band can we play you a song?” and Ben said “Yeah come on in!” He had an acoustic guitar so we played him a song. He said it was great and wished us luck.
   
   The Voice: What were you thinking when you met Joel and Benji?
   
   Ben: I just thought, “What nice kids I’ll never see them again”.
   
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4. The Voice: Were you big fans of Ben Lee back then?
   
   Joel: It was so cool for us because we were huge fans; I’m still a fan. I try and see Ben Lee whenever I get a chance.
   
   .The Voice: What did you think you could do for Joel and Benji in that moment?
   Ben: They were trying to push their career. I don’t know what they thought I could do though. When you’re a musician you’ve got so many big dreams in your head.
   
   . The Voice: Did you only approach Ben Lee to help you?
   
   Joel: We did that to a few people. We were knocking on every door that we could. We were fans of Artists like Ben, great songwriters. Back then you literally had to knock on doors. Ben got to see us in the true state of who we are.
   
5. The Voice: Ben how did you become reconnected with Joel and Benji as Good Charlotte?
   
   Ben: I was watching MTV and ‘The Little Things’ video came on and there was one moment in the song where I realised ‘that’s those guys!’. It’s so exciting to see someone’s dream and then see the dream manifested.
   
   Joel: That’s what The Voice is all about. Its funny we (Ben and I) get to share this experience. We kind of shared this experience back then in the 90’s. It’s a full cycle that we are here now.
   
   Ben: Joel said yesterday we are working (coaching and mentoring) from is the same place our songs come from. It’s just a different expression of creativity. Whether you are a musician or whatever you are a creative spirit, and right now this is just a different channel of that creative energy.