In 1993, Clapp joined Boise punk band, Haggis, following ex-
Septic Death drummer
Paul Birnbaum's departure from the band. The band went on to tour the West Coast, and release a number of singles and compilation tracks internationally, including the vinyl only 1995 release Step Into It, on German record label, Bilharziose.[6] Through the next several years, Clapp was involved with a number of independent music projects in
Boise, and went on to collaborate again with members of Haggis - this time with inclusion of
Birnbaum. Clapp was a founding member of the
Adversives and the
Mosquitones, and performed on all of their recorded releases and national tours.
Clapp formed
independent record label Spudtown Records in 1995, and released the vinyl only compilation 12 Songs You Won't Like By 12 Bands You've Never Heard of From Boise, Idaho.[7] The label continued working with regional bands to release their EPs and albums under the moniker STMC (Spudtown Music Collective) until Clapp relocated to the East Coast.
2001-present
In early 2001, Clapp moved to
New York City, and within months was hired on as drummer for a
Warsaw Poland Brothers US tour, performing for the first time with the band in
New Orleans with no audition or rehearsal. Later the same year he moved to
New Jersey and became active in the music scene fostered by legendary promoter/performer Jack Monahan, at the
Brighton Bar. He was invited to join the Do Dads, who would then go on to 3
Asbury Park Music Award nominations.[8]
By recommendation from rock photographer
Mark Weiss to
Twisted Sister frontman
Dee Snider, Clapp was introduced to Snider's eldest son
Jesse Blaze Snider in 2004, and they went on to perform together as Blazed, and from 2006 to 2008 as
Baptized By Fire.[9] Clapp also joined
Erik Sanko's band
Skeleton Key in 2004 as their "junk percussionist", and became further recognized for his use of non-traditional percussion: "...the real dirty work's done by brutish showman Benjamin Clapp. He chucks broken cymbals up into the air and slugs them on their way down. He has the worlds [sic] most dangerous tambourine: A rectangular frame, I'm guessing 36" x 24", with CIRCULAR SAW BLADES strung on it."[10] Skeleton Key continued to tour the United States and Canada with Clapp in the band, and recorded songs which would eventually go on to limited release as The Lyons Quintette EP.
Among a number of studio projects and touring artists that hire Clapp to perform on stage and in the studio,
Phish lyricist
Tom Marshall and his band
Amfibian feature Clapp's trombone playing on their studio albums From the Ether and Skip the Goodbyes. Clapp's trombone playing is also a fixture in the current line-up for
Elektra Records recording artists:
White Trash, and is heard on their 2009 release 3-D Monkeys In Space.
Discography
1994 - Bitter (with Haggis) credit: drums
1994 - Encyclopedia of Post Punk Hits (with Haggis) credit: drums
1995 - 20 Bands Trash 20 Songs to Find The Way to Sesame Street v/a compilation (with Haggis) credit: drums
1995 - Toiletbowl Epiphonies (with The Mosquitones) credit: trombone