Ian Bennett- vocals, guitar, piano
Sam Ritchie- trumpet, vocals, guitar, piano
Joe Truscott- double/electric bass
Jason Ribeiro- drums/percussion
Influences
Neil Young, Frank Black and the Catholics, Jeff (+Tim!) Buckley, Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake, Django Reinhardt, Andrew Bird, Beck, The Beach Boys, Lois Armstrong, Muddy Waters, Nick Cave, Nina Simone, The Dandy Wahols, PJ Harvey, Rufus Wainwright, Grinderman, Sausage Factory...
Ian Bennett is very often mistaken for not taking things very seriously. This is very wrong indeed. Bery worng. He is awfully serious. He sings songs of loves lost, opportunities missed, plans foiled, always being the brides maid, never the bride etc. Plus with the addition of Sam, Jason and Joe, they are, collectively, about as serious as a Darren Aranofsky film but hell the tunes are good!
Actually that's mostly a load of balls, however what is true is that Ian Bennett grew up in North London and was playing the guitar so young that he hadn't even had his artificial fingers attached yet. The first few attempts were a bit dodgy but things became a lot easier after his mother started sellotaping frozen sausages to his palms. Oh, how the tunes flowed!
Before long he left home and became a travelling jester just like his dad and to this day wanders aimlessly, hypnotising unsuspecting bystanders with his strange blend of extremely serious/totally ridiculous storysongs.
Here's a review from Ian Bennett's gig at the Duke of Hamilton, Hampstead, July 2008 as seen on thepirate.fm:
"Ian works the crowd with the expertise of a magician. A consummate and accomplished performer, he bantered with the pirates like a banshee, goading us and leading us on through his set.
Track two entitled “St Christopher” was performed with a subtlety and desolation (menace,even) in the vocals. The wanderlust of the troubadour - his isolation - is evoked in the line”…St Chrisophers need to explore…”.
Ian’s range of emotional grasp is profound as is his stylistic breadth of guitar work. He delivers with banter and humour, but can also conjure mournful pathos and subtlety.
In the song “Like A Fool” we have a love/hate ballad of our home town (much loved by the pirates of the world!). Ian (and we) are trapped like fools in a concrete pin-stripe straight jacket, quote “..beating the crap out of life…”
In the words of the pirate Isabelle “That was a PERFORMANCE!!!”
The Fireburn Music Collective's Friend Space (Top 8)
Thank you for stopping by and saying hi! I AM indeed mostly in Brighton. I venture up to London for rehearsals with a Latin band, and occasional gigs there. I don't gig my own songs at the moment. Hope all is well with you and your music!
Just sorting out the ceremony for the day off eggs here, on a lighter note pepper corns live on the moon.
How are you?
Time has passed, under the water bridge,since we last spoke.
How is it going? how are ian bennett doing and the band
Since we last spoke, I finished my my sakes! night up in 2007, then went travelling doing grape picking,doing a ski season, and a few shit jobs in between. Im back now and im pdoing three things: a magazine out 27th september, a night again(this time called good vibrations) and the radio show i do.
I hope your very well, Im getting rather busy, and only going to get busier.
anyway tell me what you been up to?
thanks for coming that time, down to liverpool., im actually nearing getting them photos printed out. Ill send you some if you want, if i get round to it.
Hey Ian!!!!!! long time no see, sorry for the slowest of responses but i am very slow. How r u??glad u have put some tunes up !!! don no when ill be visiting london next :(, ive got crappy accountany exams at the mo, booooo!!!! hows joey???? i send my love to u both xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
