Vocals: Steve
Past Activities
Steve has been a vocalist, songwriter and performer for over three decades, and brings a wealth of experience to Hardtail. In a varied and rewarding career as a semi-professional musician, Steve has gigged and recorded extensively across the UK and Europe.
Steve gained his early experience on the London pub circuit in the late 1970’s performing covers. By 1980 he had joined Tagus a highly regarded progressive rock band who were well established on the London rock circuit. This led to a connection with Ben Mathews (later of Thunder fame) and the creation of Fortune. 1982 saw Fortune appearing regularly at the Marquee Club supporting the likes of Budgie and Girlschool. In 1983 the band broke through as Marquee headliners, leading to a landmark appearance at the Reading Rock Festival on a bill featuring Black Sabbath, Marillion, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. After recording for EMI and Polydor in 1984, the band folded.
After a two year legal battle, Steve was reunited with Ben in a more pop oriented outfit called Sing Sing. In 1987 the band came second out of 2000 acts in a national talent competition sponsored by Yamaha and performed at Olympia to a celebrity panel including Bruce Bruce of Iron Maiden. Once again business matters scuppered success, and in 1990 Steve called time on his bid for professional stardom.
Steve spent the next five years developing his stage craft firstly in the club duo Candy-O, and then with the highly regarded cabaret and corporate show band State of the Heart. In response to the rapidly growing tribute phenomenon of the mid-nineties, Steve together with Jon established Fragile to celebrate the music of Yes.
Steve remains the vocalist of Fragile, and the band has enjoyed considerable success over the last 13 years. Highlights include special guest appearances by Alan White and Peter Banks of Yes, and three tours with Steve Howe. Fragile have recorded several CD’s, toured internationally, and performed at major UK festivals. The band has also appeared on TV with Rick Wakeman, promoted Roger Dean retrospectives, and been played on national digital radio.
In 2008, Steve’s first original material in almost fifteen years saw the light of day with the release of "Aquaplanage". The album written and recorded with Jon and Bob Illes (of Fragile) received rave reviews and a follow up is in production.
The Hardtail Connection
Steve’s involvement in Hardtail came about through his continuing friendship with Jon. The band were in need of a vocalist and Steve was keen to diversify his music plans beyond Fragile and Aquaplanage. As much a lover of classic rock as progressive rock, the Hardtail set list was an attractive proposition. The opportunity to perform again live with Jon (who left Fragile in 2007) was irresistible, and the talents of established members Dave and John were also only too clear. The new format of Hardtail debuted in January 2011 to great acclaim, and the future looks bright for this talented collective!
