Benji Webbe

Last updated

Benji Webbe
Skindred - Reload Festival 2017 27.jpg
Webbe performing with Skindred in 2017
Background information
Birth nameClive John Webbe
Also known as
  • CJ Webbe
  • Benji Webbe
  • The DirtyDred
Born (1967-03-11) 11 March 1967 (age 56)
Newport, Wales
Genres
Years active1993–present
Labels
Website skindred.net

Clive John "Benji" Webbe (born 11 March 1967) is a Welsh singer, best known as the lead vocalist and synthesizer player for the reggae metal band Skindred. Aside from his main project, he is also active in Diamond Spider, Dub War, Mass Mental and his own solo project. [1] He has featured on albums by Bullet for My Valentine, Soulfly, The Alarm, and Punk Rock Factory.

Contents

Webbe is a native of Newport, South Wales, and a veteran of the rock explosion of the mid-1990s which led to Spin magazine dubbing Newport as 'The New Seattle'. [2]

Early life

Benji Webbe was born Clive John Webbe on 11 March 1967 in Newport to Caribbean parents. Webbe's father was brought to the UK on the Windrush ship which brought one of the first groups of West Indian immigrants to the United Kingdom. Webbe's father arrived in Manchester where he struggled to find a job and moved to Wales instead.

He became an orphan at the age of 13 and was raised by his older brother in Newport. [2]

Career

Webbe first came to prominence with Dub War, releasing two studio albums, Pain and Wrongside of Beautiful. A third album was in the works before the band split in 1999. Benji left Earache after they refused to let him record a solo album, which was intended to move to a more hip-hop sound. [3] After a short lived project with Robert Trujillo, Mass Mental, which released one studio and one live album, Webbe formed Skindred with former members of Dub War. Due to a dispute with the record label, a new lineup moved to Bieler Bros. and has released six studio albums.

In 2006, Webbe performed with Korn at the 2006 Download Festival, while Korn's lead singer Jonathan Davis was seriously ill, he sang A.D.I.D.A.S. He has also appeared on Bullet For My Valentine's 2008 album Scream Aim Fire (on "Take It Out on Me"), as well as Soulfly's debut album (on "Quilombo" and "Prejudice"). [4]

In 2012, Webbe collaborated with the rap metal band Dirty Wormz on their album Outbreak, appearing on the song "Blood & Fire".

In 2015, Webbe released his debut solo album, a purely reggae album entitled I Haven't Been Nicking in Ages, produced by Monsta Boy. He has also been performing intermittently with the reformed Mass Mental and in 2015, Dub War. [5]

In 2018, commemorating Black History Month in the United Kingdom, Webbe was included on a list of 100 "Brilliant, Black and Welsh" people. [6]

In 2020, Webbe unveiled a new studio project with Dub War bassist Richie Glover, entitled Diamond Spider. The "voodoo blues" project released its debut single in October that year, with a self-titled album due in 2021 along with Dub War's fourth studio album.

Discography

Webbe during Rock am Ring 2017 Skindred - 2017153155029 2017-06-02 Rock am Ring - Sven - 1D X II - 0495 - AK8I6437.jpg
Webbe during Rock am Ring 2017

Solo discography

YearTitle
2015I Haven't Been Nicking In Ages

Skindred discography

YearTitle
2002 Babylon
2004 Babylon (2004 re-issue)
2007 Roots Rock Riot
2009 Shark Bites and Dog Fights
2011 Union Black
2014 Kill The Power
2015 Volume
2018 Big Tings
2023Smile

Dub War discography

YearTitle
1993Words of Dubwarning
1995Pain
1996Wrong Side of Beautiful
1998Step Ta Dis
2009Demos 2010
2010The Dub, The War And The Ugly
2021Declaration of Dub War
2022 Westgate Under Fire

Diamond Spider discography

YearTitle
2021Diamond Spider

Mass Mental? discography

YearTitle
1999 How To Write Love Songs
1999Live in Tokyo

Collaborations

YearBandAlbumSong(s)
1998 Soulfly Soulfly "Quilombo"; "Prejudice"
2003Bong RaBikini Bandits, Kill! Kill! Kill!"Blood & Fire"
2004 Bullet for My Valentine Jeff Killed John (EP) "Nation2Nation"
2008 Scream Aim Fire "Take It Out on Me"
2010Forever NeverI Can't Believe it's Not Metal"Boombastic"
2012diRTy WoRMzOutbreak”Blood & Fire”
2015FarmikosFarmikos"Fragile"
2015Silly Band!Water is the ruination of Everything"Save my Farm"
2015 Crossfaith XENO "Wildfire"
2015 Modestep London Road"Circles"
2016 Dubioza Kolektiv Happy Machine"Riot Fire"
2017 Sumo Cyco Opus Mar "Move Mountains"
2017As Sirens Fall"In My Mind"
2018Florence BlackThe Final EP"Gunshot"
2019 Phil Campbell Old Lions Still Roar "Dead Roses"
2021Dirty Shirt"Pretty Faces"
2022Punk Rock FactoryA Whole New Wurst 2"Shiny"
2022 The Alarm Omega"safe from harm"
2022 Undead Corporation Doujin Works J.O.I.N.T"Get It"2022 Massive Wagons Triggered!"Generation Prime"
2023 Russkaja Turbo Polka Party"Vozdukh"

Personal life

Webbe has four children with his ex-wife and 17 grandchildren. On 1 September 2022 Webbe married his wife Julie Christian in a private wedding ceremony. [2]

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References

  1. Loftus, Johnny. "Biography: Skindred". AllMusic . Retrieved 15 March 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 Rawlins, Kirsten. "Music saved me: Benji Webbe of Skindred talks ahead of Bloodstock appearance". Shropshirestar.com. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  3. Digby (26 September 2009). "ASK EARACHE: Rob Trujillo & Benji Webbe = Mass Mental". Askearache.blogspot.com. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  4. "Skindred Frontman Benji Webbe on The MetalSucks Podcast #233 | MetalSucks". MetalSucks. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  5. "Benji Webbe reveals all about Skindred's new album Big Tings". Metal Hammer Magazine. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  6. Wightwick, Abbie (28 September 2018). "Brilliant, Black and Welsh: A celebration of 100 African Caribbean and African Welsh people". WalesOnline. Retrieved 11 October 2019.