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Artist
Steve Curtis
10+ albums
about
Steve was given his first acoustic guitar for his thirteenth birthday. He says, "It had strings so thick you could tow trucks with them!" By age fourteen he was appearing alongside his Dad in pubs and clubs throughout the South East of England. His first guitar hero was Derek Smythe, lead guitarist with popular East London band Sounds Different. Steve would sit in the Cauliflower pub, transfixed, trying to learn his licks. Then on a BBC Old Grey Whistle Test special he saw Eric Clapton and knew immediately what he wanted to do. Steve's early apprenticeship was spent in his Father's band, learning stagecraft and delivery, but he was restless and moved on to play with a variety of different acts. By 1985 he had to go pro and so joined a 90 mile an hour R'n'B band, "Max Headroom and the Carparks". "We took off to Italy" Steve says, "on a tour with two other bands. It was fantastic, and changed the course of my life, not to mention the colour of my liver!" The tours came and went, the residential gigs in the sun had passed, but he was still writing the music he wanted to hear and loved to play: a mixture of country, blues and rock. He's recorded many times, as sideman and session guitarist, and a few years ago released a CD EP with Last Orders, which was great. Now, however, he had the need to record material that was more in tune with the music he hears in his head, culminating in Small Mercies. Steve's unassuming large stature and personality, with his deep and powe