/ £15 concessions. , starts 8pm. Benji Kirkpatrick is a singer, songwriter and musician. A “fretboard wizard” (Time Out) of multiple stringed instruments – bouzouki, guitar, banjo, mandolin – he has been performing solo for over 25 years. As a key founder member of folk big band, Bellowhead, Benji has enjoyed playing in front of large festival audiences as well appearances on the likes of Later… with Jools Holland. His latest solo album In Phase, released in 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 only release from Benji’s then 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 ‘Est’d. 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’, ‘Make Your Mark’ and latest release ‘The Granite Way’ and tours with Seth regularly. Benji has also worked with Oysterband, was a part of the 2017 revival production of Peter Bellamy’s ‘folk opera’, The Transports, alogside The Young ‘Uns, Nancy Kerr, Greg Russell and Matthew Crampton, and featured in The Lady: An homage… to Sandy Denny, a 2012 nationwide tour also featuring Maddy Prior, Thea Gilmore, Dave Swarbrick, Joan as Policewoman, Lavinia Blackwall and PP Arnold. He has also done other things… and is as happy in small grassroots venues as in front of a thousands strong crowd.

Venue: Colchester Arts Centre, Church Street, Colchester, Essex CO1 1NF.

Event type: Folk.

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