Shannon Noll had to call a few people and seek their advice before accepting a role in the stage musical version of War of the Worlds.



The singer, who rose to fame after coming second on the first season of Australian Idol, said he could relate to his character.

Noll - who will perform in the Beneath the Stars - Songs of Hope and Joy charity concert in Brisbane next month - will play in War of the Worlds the part of Pastor Nathaniel, a priest who has "lost his marbles" and tries to rationalise the alien invasion.

"He's of the belief that the aliens are the Devil, coming to collect the sinners, when in actual fact they're martians coming to collect everybody," Noll said.

Apart from a short film when he was 17-years-old, Noll said he hadn't done any acting in the past.

"Funnily enough, just the way my character is - the exasperation in his voice and the way he sings - I know where he's coming from."

While travelling around the country with the crew of War of the Worlds, Noll is also preparing for the upcoming release of his new album.

Turn it Up hits stores tomorrow, and Noll said his latest offering was a much more organic and raw sound.

"My producer is a fan of my voice, and he just wanted it to come through and stand on its own.

"We recorded it live, so I sang while the musicians were recording their parts, instead of just laying it on top."

While he was happy with the album, he said it was impossible to predict what fans were going to like.

"The best thing to do is keep being true to yourself and making music that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up."

In bringing the album together, Noll said he tried to do his own thing and not rely too heavily on other people's opinions.

"You get input from everywhere, but I think maybe the worst thing you can have is experience.

"Sometimes you start taking advice from people that may not actually suit what you're trying to create yourself."

Since Australian Idol, Noll has taken to the road and performed more than 350 shows for fans.

While he's still a fan of the show that gave him a "foot in the door", he said he had to put in a lot of hard work after it was all over.

"It's hard work to cement a career. I'm not here because of Idol - I'm here partly because of Idol, but not completely."