LIFE LESSONS
BENJI WEBBE
The Skindred/Dub War vocalist shares the lessons that took him from life as a feral kid on the streets of Newport to one of metal’s most brilliantly exuberant frontmen
WORDS: RICH HOBSON • PICTURES: PAUL HARRIES
From West Side Story to Skindred: Benji’s music has come a long way
AS FRONTMAN OF Skindred, Benji Webbe is a beloved fixture of the UK metal scene – amaster of ceremonies whose reggae/metal fusion never fails to get the party started. Now Benji is revisiting his original band, Dub War, for Westgate Under Fire – their first new album in 26 years. Hammer took the opportunity to stroll down memory lane with Benji, to find out what he’s learned so far.
DON’T TAKE HAVING LOVED ONES AROUND YOU FOR GRANTED
“I lost my folks early. I was the youngest of four kids and grew up in a stable home as far as I can remember. A loving mother and father: she was from Cardiff, he came over from the West Indies in the 50s. But when I was seven my mother passed away. My father passed when I was 11; then I was raised by my ganjasmoking Rastafarian 21-year-old brother.”
YOU’RE MORE RESILIENT THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE
“My brother was in a rock band, so he wasn’t always around because he’d go off on tours. They packed into this little hire van and would leave on a Thursday and come back Monday. I was pretty feral as a kid, but realised I could fend for myself.”