About Me

Steven is a professional percussionist, teacher, singer, performer, and songwriter.

The Beginning

Where do I start???? Originally born and raised in Coventry, England (of Scottish and Welsh decent), my family and I moved to Canada when I was a young lad. Or should I say my family moved me? When I was 11 I asked 'Santa' for a guitar for Christmas but instead awoke to a shiny blue set of Coronet drums. Shocked at first, by lunch I had learned a few songs well enough to make my mother wish that 'Santa' had brought me that guitar after all! 

Formative Years 

I was lucky enough to receive years of formal lessons from a variety of fine teachers including a particular freak of a drummer named Paul DeLong (of Kim Mitchell fame) who really helped shape my particular way of approaching my drumming. i.e. always think out of the box… By the time I was 16 years old I was teaching a full complement of students (approximately 20) and was gigging full-time (evenings and weekends) in a number of bands having members 2x my age. Fast forward.... 

The Breakout

I was great at two things in school, math and music. Guess which one was cooler for a young dude?  That being said, when I was 18 I packed my bags and headed out on the road full-time. What a way to learn your chops! I played in a multitude of great bands, coast to coast, including the likes of Mainstreet, Passion Play, Eye Contact, Vigilants, Rockus, Frame 3, etc. before auditioning for, and landing, the gig as drummer for RCA/BMG/Simmons recording act Gypsy Rose. I cut the debut record "Prey" with Tom Treumuth (Producer of Honeymoon Suite fame) and Gary Furniss (Sony), Gene Simmons as our Executive Producer (tons of great stories there), and then went out on the road for two years to promote it. The lead-off single was top 10 in 1991 in a number of large American markets, spawned a video that was in high rotation on MTV, and generated years and years and years of juicy material that someday may make it into a book. Grunge hit. End of era. 

Interestingly enough, I also somehow managed to squeeze both a college and University degree (both in Computer Science) in as well.  I guess I did find a way to leverage my love for math and science!

Lightning Hits Twice 

I rejoined fellow rockers Rockus, who by then had renamed themselves, Blu Bones in time to record their A&M/Magnetic Air debut "Sink". A critically acclaimed band, fan favourite and Much Music 'frenemy' did very well over the next few years. Multiple videos, tours with Canadian icons such as Lee Aaron, April Wine, Kim Mitchell, Tea Party, Slik Toxic, etc. (apologies to the many that I've not included), continued to provide a wealth of learning opportunities. A follow-up record, Loosh Papa, was recorded and re-recorded but by then it was clear that the wind had abandoned our sails and we went our separate ways. 

https://blubones.bandcamp.com/

The Sustaining Years

The next few years were filled with teaching, touring (with a multitude of lesser known acts), and recording (sessions, demos), and eventually lead to the partial reuniting of Gypsy Rose to support Michael Ross' (Gypsy vocalist) solo efforts. An album of material was written, recorded, and released via a number of channels on Island/Def Jam and did marginally well.

All Grown Up

Looking for something new and exciting, I reconnected with a great friend, singer/songwriter from Passion Play and Lost Johnny fame to create (in our minds) somewhat of a super group. The well-respected unit known as Wednesday's Engine was born in 2009 and regardless of the material played, we take pride in knowing that this band can play anything under the sun. With four lead vocalists and a cast made up of recording artists, we feel confident in knowing that we're one of the best acts in our genre out playing today and we are always in extremely high demand.

2012 was a busy year as FnA records released a new Gypsy Rose record which is essentially a compilation disk of the “Prey” session outtakes, alternate versions, demo material, solo material, and a couple of rerecorded versions of the better songs off the Prey record.  I also joined well-known and respected rockers Abandoned Souls in time for their Damned If You Don't release (© Copyright - Abandoned Souls / Fiend Records (721762897362)) in 2012. 

• Pointing Fingers: https://youtu.be/sMbxLEFTlEI

• In a Darkened Room: https://youtu.be/4RmLDUo3IJ0

2014 was another busy year as Abandoned Souls completed recording, mixing and mastering their fourth disk entitled Insightful Minds (https://youtu.be/GRW1LTcC18o).  This disk spawned multiple videos:

• Want 'n Need: https://youtu.be/PdV83G8XYec

• Leave it Behind: https://youtu.be/YML-yOJkq-g

2015:  A number of new Blu Bones tracks were recorded at Beach Road Studios in the spring.  

2016-2020: more and more Wednesday's Engine!

www.wednesdaysengine.com

2019-2020: Gypsy Rose tours Greece and Germany!

2021:

• Blu Bones: Single - "She's got a way with Love" - https://youtu.be/y91zWOk5R_M

2022: 

• Blu Bones:  Single - "Summertime in Europe" - https://youtu.be/cGp1tU63kCE?si=U2r4yundCNL6QdZP

• Super Falcon - I teamed up with Super Falcon via a friend that, oddly enough, I met while training for my commercial Drone Pilot license.  "Oh you're a drummer", he says.  "I'm in this cool band that gigs around London and we're in need of a drummer.  We play a few times a year and I live around the corner from you".  Nuff said....18 months later we're still bashing it out and you can find more about this great group of humans here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/252428311436974/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT.

2023:

An interesting year of ups and downs.  Wednesday's Engine performed a fantastic series of gigs (CNE, Burlington Ribfest, Western Fair), Super Falcon continued their epic journey of greatness, and because I'm not one to sit still, I reunited with my old pals from the Cherry Dogs and agreed to rejoin the Dog Pound.  Now interestingly, I used to play with these guys back in the 90s and what is old is new again.  So, we're busy revamping the setlist and learned a number of new tunes that we're showcasing around Southwestern Ontario.  We play everything from Eagles (yes, four part harmony) to a Disco set, Nirvana, Queen, and Cheap Trick.  Anything to keep the dance floor full.

• Cherry Dogs: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100043007505150&mibextid=ZbWKwL 

2024:

It's the top of the year and everyone is getting back into the swing of things so we'll see what's what...thus far, having a blast pounding the tubs and will do it for as long as I can.  :-)

See y'all soon!