User:Benjysponder

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Benjamin Christie (born July 15, 1982 in Melbourne, Australia) is an Australian guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, sometime music journalist and zine publisher.

The first son of Melbourne-based writer/composer Craig Christie (Crusade, Eurobeat), Ben took to music at an early age and often made cassette recordings of himself singing his favorite songs as a child. An avid fan of the '90s alternative rock scene, he took up guitar at the age of 12, but gradually became more attracted to music journalism during his later teens. After finishing high school, he studied a writing diploma for two years at Swinburne University of Technology, whilst also finding time to voluntarily organise all-ages shows in Croydon, and write reviews and articles for the Melbourne street press (including Beat and Inpress magazines).

In 2004, he published a successful series of zines entitled (The) Thoughts (of a Wannabe Emo Kid). After a near-three year hiatus the zine was reactivated in May 2007 as simply Thoughts. A CD-R label named Thoughts Records is going to be established to tie in with the zine, and will focus mainly on experimental/outsider music.

Christie has performed musically under many guises including Not In Kansas Anymore, Benjysponder, Bozo Macgillicuddy's Drum Machine Spectacular, and as a member of the short-lived novelty outfit Trolley Poles of the Hare Krishna. A solo project named Captain Oats was in the planning stages during 2006, but was eventually aborted. Lately Ben has been composing improvisational ambient/drone pieces (often sexual and confronting in nature) under the moniker Cruciphilia.

[edit] Trivia

He is bisexual, and an avowed atheist.

His favorite food is pasta.