Singer, songwriter and musician Benji Kirkpatrick is launching his solo album, In Phase, at Winchester’s The Railway on November 9. A key member of folk big band, Bellowhead, Benji has been performing solo for 25 years. Brand new album In Phase, released autumn 2023, features all original songs written between 2020 and 2022. Lauded releases such as ‘Boomerang’ (2008) and ‘Hendrix Songs’ (2015) – an album of acoustic re-interpretations of the work of Jimi Hendrix – have punctuated his exploits over the years alongside extensive work with others. 2019 saw the release of ‘Gold Has Worn Away’ on German based label Westpark Music, the debut long player from Benji’s band ‘Benji Kirkpatrick & The Excess’; a roots-based power trio comprising of Pete Thomas (Jackie Oates, Megan Henwood) on bass and Joelle Barker (Edwin Starr band, Del Camino) on drums. Pete Flood, also of Bellowhead, occupied the drum seat until 2022.
Benji was head hunted by folk rock pioneers, Steeleye Span in 2017 (40 years after his dad, John, was in the band) and was a member until 2021, featuring on 50th anniversary album ‘Estd. 1969’. He was one third of ‘bloke folk’ trio, ‘Faustus’, along with Paul Sartin and Saul Rose, whose hard-hitting brand of English folk hammered it’s mark onto the scene until the untimely and tragic death of Paul in 2022.
Benji is a long-term collaborator with Seth Lakeman, featuring on the successful releases ‘Kitty Jay’, ‘Freedom Fields’ and ‘Make Your Mark’ and tours with Seth and his band regularly. Hu used to work closely with Paul Sartin of Whitchurch who sadly passed away last year. Paul ran the community choir Andover Loft Singers and he and Benji were in folk bands Faustus and Bellowhead together.
For tickets and more information, visit: wegottickets.com/event/588113
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