Benji Kirkpatrick is well known as a rhythmic driver of such outfits as Bellowhead and Faustus, with his "memorably aggressive" (MOJO) style.
He is a singer and multi-instrumentalist and has made four solo albums, the latest of which ‘Hendrix Songs’, saw him strip back the songs of his hero and set them in a re-imagined, acoustic light. He has recently formed a new outfit ‘Benji Kirkpatrick and The Excess’ as a vehicle to air his own songs and compositions, featuring Pete Flood (ex Bellowhead) on drums and Pete Thomas (Megan Henwood) on bass.
Pioneering folk-rock legends Steeleye Span headhunted Benji in 2017, so he joined the band 40 years after his father, John, was a member. The band undertook an extensive tour in winter 2017 with big plans afoot for their 50th anniversary celebrations in 2019. Benji spent three years in the Seth Lakeman Band having featured on Seth’s successful releases ‘Kitty Jay’ and ‘Freedom Fields’. In summer 2016, as part of the Shakespeare 400 celebrations, Benji was involved in ‘The Fairy Portal Camp’ at the RSC in Stratford upon Avon. Musicians, actors and dancers collaborated to produce new works every day for a week, working up to a final performance which opened ‘the fairy portal’. Things haven’t been the same since…
Benji has also worked with numerous other artists including Oysterband, John Jones, Thea Gilmore and Joan as Police Woman.
Of Hendrix Songs:
"This is a rare chance to hear the songs stripped back to their atmospheric essentials." - The Sunday Times
"It’s testament to Jimi’s song-writing that the songs slip their identities so readily, with Voodoo Child becoming a cowboy storm cloud and Crosstown Traffic revealing unexpected poignancy." - Classic Rock