On March 18th, Alec Benjamin brought his ‘12 Notes Tour’ to Cirque Royal in Brussels, Belgium. He had performed in Belgium twice before, once on a solo tour in 2019 and again in 2022 at one of Belgium’s biggest festivals, Rock Werchter. It was clear he had built a loyal fanbase over the years. There was no need for a support act to warm up the crowd. As soon as the lights dimmed, the audience initiated a countdown followed by loud cheering as Alec emerged on stage. His set reflected a feeling of home, complete with a bed, a desk with a picture of his dog and cosy lamps.
Throughout the night, Alec showcased his many talents, switching between piano and guitar and moving across the stage to ensure every fan could see him. His connection with the audience was undeniable – he wanted the show to be about more than just the music. He took his time to talk about his day, and the Belgian food he tried and even jokingly promised he would learn French by the next time he was in Belgium. In true Belgian fashion, the crowd made it clear that French is not the country’s only language and soon Dutch was added to his promise.
While all songs were welcomed with open arms, the crowd seemed to have some favourites. When the first notes of ‘Devil Doesn’t Bargain’ started, the audience immediately sang along, louder than before. Alec was in sync with his fans and they sounded like his own personal choir, every word echoing through the venue. As if rehearsed, they knew exactly when to clap along, when to raise their hands in the air and when to repeat lyrics back to him.
Another fan favourite, ‘Steve’, had initially not made it onto the setlist. When Alec took a moment to play some songs acoustically by himself, the room went quiet and a fan seized her opportunity to request the song. Her wish came true and the rest of the audience excitedly joined in, their flashlights lighting up the room.
Of course, ‘Water Fountain’ had to be part of the setlist. He started it off on piano, but knowing how much fans loved the song, he took it from the top and played an up-tempo version with his band. Alongside the cosy reading lamps, large spotlights lit up the room, accentuating its beautiful layout with seats filled with fans stretching from top to bottom.
As the night progressed, slow ballads and upbeat tracks alternated, just like the instruments they were played on. Alec continuously engaged with the crowd, sharing the stories behind some of his songs. At one point, he reminisced about his time at summer camp when he was 13 years old. It was the first time he ever played in front of people and it was the reason he wanted to learn how to play guitar. He played the same song that he played back then: A cover of ‘I’m Yours’ by Jason Mraz.
Then came the moment for Alec to pretend the next song, ‘Sacrifice Tomorrow’, would be the last of the evening. Those who had been paying attention knew better: An encore was bound to happen. After he left the stage, some fans chanted loudly: “Waar is dat feestje? Hier is dat feestje!” (Translation: “Where is the party? Here is the party!”), while others clapped and called out for him to return. Their cheers were soon rewarded when Alec reappeared and performed three more songs, one of which was the title track of the tour. Last but not least, the first words of his biggest hit ‘Let Me Down Slowly’ rang through the speakers. The crowd went wild one last time and as the final 12 notes echoed around the room they gave him a well-deserved round of applause.
