Steve Balsamodebut album - Dutch interview

Na onenigheid met platenmaatschappij Sony, ondervond steve's eerste album "all I am" grote problemen met het uitbrengen ervan. Maar achter de schermen bij de BBC wales talenten jacht "Just Up Your Street", straalt de walese zanger en acteur een verbazingwekkende zekerheid uit,terwijl hij zich voorbereidt om deze wedstrijd te jureren. Hij spreekt met ons over het kwaad dat muziekwereld heet en waarom Nashville werkelijk is wat het is.

Is, sinds de beëindiging van het contact met Sony, je motief om de muziekwereld in te gaan veranderd?
Nee, helemaal niet. Ik wilde de muziekwereld in omdat ik gek ben op muziek, en dat is nog steeds het geval. Muziek is een constant gegeven: iets wat nooit verandert. Maar wat ik heb geleerd over de platenindustrie de laatste jaren heeft mijn ogen werkelijk geopend. Je hebt muziek en de zakelijke kant ervan. Ze zouden eigenlijk niet samen moeten gaan.

Wat gebeurt er nu met "All I am"?
Ik promoot hem nu zelf nu de samenwerking met Sony officieel beëindigd is. Er was niks mis met het album, Alleen met de mensen die het wilden uitbrengen. Je gelooft die onzin niet. Er zijn echt geweldige platen gemaakt die de kans niet krijgen, en dat ligt aan de manier waarop die mensen werken. Maar het voelt geweldig om het heft nu in eigen handen te nemen.

Heb je in deze onrustige tijd nog gelegenheid gehad om nieuwe nummers te schrijven?
Oh, dat moet ik, absoluut! Ik schrijf iedere dag, waar ik ook ben, of het nu in de studio is of thuis met een dictafoon en mijn gitaar. Ik woon in Chiswick, net om de hoek bij Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones huis, dus er is inspratie genoeg.

Door dit album en Jesus Christ Superstar heb ik heel wat van de wereld gezien en het heeft me de gelegenheid gegeven te werken met de meest gewelidge musici. De gaafste klus was het schrijven met Tim Schmidt van the Eagles. Voor mij is dat altijd DÉ band geweest, The Eagles zijn je van het!

Het is moeilijk om van je musical-label af te komen. Sla je met je nieuwe nummers een andere richting in?

Ja, zeker. Ik had een reuze interessant musical-aanbod maar ik was ook bezig om een band samen te stellen. Ik nam mijn beslissing om het af te slaan in Nashville - vlakbij Cardiff, dat is de plaats waar ik gek op ben,waar ze musici echt waarderen.

Hoe dan ook, de band gaat Grand Canyon heten.
Ik wil 5 zangers op het podium en een band bestaande uit 5 leden die echt samen gaan werken. Het wordt een mix van the Eagles en Jackson Brown met een vleugje Crosby Stills and Nash - maar met een lading heftige beats. Wat David Gray deed voor Bob Dylan wil ik doen voor The Eagles. We zouden zelfs een tour kunnen doen met iemand zoals Wilco.

Wilco en Ryan Adams zij echt doorgebroken bij het grote publiek als songwriter. Hoe sta jij daar tegenover?
Ryan Adams is fantastisch. Ik denk echt dat goede songwriters meer gewaardeerd worden tegenwoordig. Ik denk ironisch genoeg dat dat het enige positieve is wat uit deze popster-onzin is voorgevloeid. Ze zeggen in shows tegenwoordig meer over songwriters. En wanneer ze een nummer op de radio draaien zeggen ze nu ook wie het nummer geschreven heeft, of het nu Cathy Dennis of Don Henley of Tom Waits is.

Cardiff, London, Nashville... wat is het volgende?
Ik vind het momenteel heerlijk om in Londen te wonen maar ik ben in veel plaatsen geweest en Cardiff is echt één van de meest levendige plaatsen in de wereld. Het is zó veranderd - Ik snap echt niet waar al het geld vandaan komt. Ik heb de theorie dat ze olie onder de baai hebben en het niet iedereen vertellen. Ja, ik vind het heerlijk om hier terug te komen.

Steve Balsamo -FROM SWANSEA TO GETHSEMANE, THEN GIBRALTAR

FROM SWANSEA TO GETHSEMANE, THEN GIBRALTAR

 Alice Mascarenhas and Jonathan Sacramento Interview Vocalist Steve Balsamo

 Steve Balsamo is not just a two-dimensional singer, he is a student of the voice who has drafted into his repertoire a range of influenced from different cultures, including Western and even Mongolian throat singing. Steve not only has an incredible voice, but is fascinated with the effect of the voice on mood and emotion, and is constantly on the look out for new techniques and new teachers to learn from.Most famous for his fabulous rendition as Jesus in the 20anniversary production of Andrew Lloyd Weber's Jesus Christ Superstar, Steve's career has already seen him display a range of talents, from rock bands, to musicals, and now his pop record 'All I Am'.

Yet the young man from Swansea is humble enough to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground. You don't describe yourself as a musicals singer/actor despite the fact that you've come across very well in both the musicals you've done. Why is that? I don't describe myself as anything other than a singer. The route I took back home was firstly to come through Jesus Christ Superstar, that's how I got recognition. I was singing in bands and writing songs before that, but I really got recognised when I got the part of Jesus in 1997.I was able to, luckily, make the leap from that into pop music. Superstar was such a high profile thing I was recognised by record companies.

What was your experience like in Jesus?Playing Jesus was is hard thing. I did a lot of research, read a lot of books, went to see a lot of plays, watched a lot of films. Probably every culture in the world has some sort of image of the crucifixion scene, so performing that over 400 times and keeping it fresh was not easy. It becomes very tiring, and also takes its toll on the voice- there was no drinking, smoking or partying for a year to keep it fit.

Was it something you'd think of doing again?I may do, I never ruled anything out. I never set out to be a musicals actor or singer, I set out to be a singer and this is one of the things that was part of a pre-destined route in my career.I am currently involved in a project by Eric Wolfson (the writer in the Alan Parsons project) who's written a musical based on Edgar Allan Poe. We've recorded a record which will be released in Germany and Holland in September. It's a 'rock concept' musical kind of like what Superstar was when it came out.What was your favourite song from JCS?My favourite songs were probably the Judas songs, I think they are better songs. But of course Gethsemane was the song I was recognised for.I know Andrew Lloyd Weber liked the performance very much, he was there during rehearsals and he was very complimentary and supportive.

How did you get to Notre Dame de Paris from Superstar?I got asked to do that. It was a huge phenomenon in France, I was working with Sony at the time and Sony records were putting out an English version. I think that having done something as high profile as Superstar people know what I can do, and even though I still have to audition, I am in the position that people are forthcoming in asking me to play parts.

What direction do you want to take now?I released an album with Sony Records aimed at the pop market, which was great and I had some amazing fun. It was a personal expression of where I was at the time. Now I'm part of a new band comprising four or five different singers who are all fantastic, and four or five writers who are all fantastic. I don't take the lead vocals on some of the songs- there's a lot of harmonising and is really going back to the music I grew up listening to. It's a little rockier than my album, but that's how I started, playing in rock bands in Wales.You grew up in South Wales, which has become an excellent breeding ground for musicians over the last few years.

Why do you think this is? I tell you something, South Wales has been an amazing breeding ground for musicians for a long time. What the industry didn't do is go down there. 25 years ago Ireland was the butt of British jokes, but they reinvented themselves and put an infrastructure in place to nurture talent. Then you had really amazing bands like U2 come out of there. Around five to seven years ago- in my view- the music industry exhausted talent in England, Ireland and Scotland, and looked to Wales. There is a huge music scene in Wales, and bands like Catatonia and Stereophonics have emerged 100 years ago, people who used to work underground in mines for six days a week used to come out on Sundays and sing in chapels and churches. This huge choir society grew up from that. I'd love to see a merging of American Gospel music with Welsh male voice choirs.Gibraltar has been linked with the Southwest of Britain in time for the European Elections.

Do you identify any cultural ties between Gibraltar and Wales?Gibraltar is very much like Wales. Because it's so small, you always know what everyone else is doing, and there's a great in interest in other people. There's also a great music scene here. We've been here a couple of days and we've seen more than twenty bands in concerts and jam sessions. There's a Welsh sort of feeling here, which is very much like Wales, and some of the roads and areas in Gibraltar remind me of Swansea. We were walking down Main Street the other day and I thought we were in Neath.

What sort of reception have you had from the Gibraltarian people?Very good. It's very exciting. Some of the VIPs are part of my new band and we've written a lot of new songs, so it's been really exciting to have the chance to play some of these songs for the first time. We had a feeling they were good, but we've had the chance to play them for audiences without any pressure because nobody knows us here. It's nice to get a fresh set of ears. When something is new, on a spiritual level it's a good indication of how something is going to carry through ultimately.




https://stevebalsamo.blogspot.com/

Steve Balsamo about his childhood

THREE months after the death of his beloved mother pop heartthrob Steve Balsamo today speaks movingly of his loss and his happy childhood.

In an exclusive interview with Wales on Sunday Steve, 29, recalls growing up in Swansea and opens his heart about his mum Elaine's death from lung cancer earlier this summer.

``Everyone was present at her death,'' says Steve. ``Andrew, Michael and me (Steve's brothers) were all singing and we could all feel in harmony with each other. It was beautiful and profound.

``She died three months ago from lung cancer, she was 62 and she was first diagnosed fifteen months earlier, the doctors said she had only three months to live. ``Before she died I said, `When you go, come back,' and she has, I've seen her.

``My mum was a big Jim Reeves' fan and I'm going to record I Love You Because for her, and me, one day.''

Musically, Steve is celebrating the release of his long-awaited new album All I Am. He is fast establishing himself as one of Britain's finest singer-songwriters. Here, he unveils a variety of photos from his youth. They reveal a time full of dodgy barnets, angelic looks, dubious tank-tops, curtains ahead of their time and a dad with an uncanny resemblance to Austin Powers.

Welcome to Steve's world.

BABE IN ARMS

I LOVE these pictures of me with Mum aged a few weeks, right and about eight months, above. I'm about to sneeze in the top one. My mum, Elaine, loved watching TV, she was a soapaholic.

I get my stubborn streak from mum. Along with Dad she tried to instil honesty, manners and being polite. Mum told me not to swear, dad didn't mind so much! My mum didn't do any outside work, she was totally devoted to her boys. Most people say I take after my mum, I've got her eyes and a bit of my dad's nose.

Michael looks like me and Andrew looks like my dad.

POODLE POWER

EIGHT months old and I still have the poodle. I love toys. My first musical toy was a small piano and I also had a wind-up TV that played`Row, row, row the boat gently down the stream.' Mum said I'd sing myself to sleep, I was very serene.

I loved Action Man, and I used to play war games with Marcus Hopkins next door. I love children and the idea of being a dad in the future and learning from them is very appealing to me.

BROTHERLY LOVE

I'M 18 months older than my brother Andrew, here wearing the football shirt. He's a lovely guy and started singing before me - he's got a band as well. We were thick as thieves when we were young, we hardly ever fought but we made mischief.

We'd give Mum hell and sometimes we'd fight over girls. We've always been close but with mum dying that brought everyone closer. I feel very protective towards Andrew. Our brother, Michael came later - he's taller and looks like Tom Cruise!

SUNDAY SCHOOL

THINK this was taken in Argyle Street in Swansea, the street where I used to live,outside the Glamorgan pub. remember going to Sunday school which is ironic when you consider I went on to play Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar.

was conscientious at school, I enjoyed art and had great days at St Helen's in Swansea and then Dynevor Comprehensive. When Mum was ill I came back to see her as often as could and I met some familiar faces.

MISCHIEF MAKERS

I'M about six-years-old here with Andrew, cousin Sian and my nana Ivy in the background.

Andrew looks like he wants to get up to some mischief.
Sian's got two kids now. We had great fun in those days.

The last big family get together we had was for John, my grandfather's 90th birthday a couple of years ago. He died a few months later but it was a great family occasion.

My uncle Gerwen, got up and sang miners' songs and Andrew, Mike and me sang some songs acappella.

LITTLE ANGEL

I LOVE that shirt! I was about six then and I never went to bed early used to drive my mother crazy. All kids go through phases and I wentthrough mine when I was about 15, I was very keen on music, and girls of course.

was always asking big questions about God. Dad was into philosophers like Kant and I'd go through phases of, `What's it all about?' I'm still searching. Now I'm doing a course on Gurdjieff.

MULLET ALERT

LOOK at that hair, I sure don't recognise that guy! This was After Dark, the band I was in - from left to right: Lino, Stuart, Rhod, Steve, Miles. This was taken between 1989 and 1991.Stuart wrote all the songs, I learnt a lot from him and we were really good, doing 80s melodic rock like Bon Jovi. I heard some of our songs recently and didn't wince as much as thought would.''

MUSICAL AWAKENING

JESUS Christ Superstar was my early musical break, but some of my earliest music memories are of dad belting out Mario Lanza and my mum doing Jim Reeves love songs.

Jealousy motivated me to sing at 17 when I suspected my girlfriend loved Jon Bon Jovi more than me!

YEAH, BABY!

ME at 18 months with Dad on the beach - look out Austin Powers!

My girlfriend Tracy spotted the similarity, he has got a bit of Tony Blackburn too! This was taken in Venice, where my dad, Luciano, who is very fun and loving, was born.

When I have a beard I look like my dad - sometimes I look in the mirror and see him. I'm fine with that, it's good to accept that your parents are part of you.

I think if you run from that idea you quickly become like your parents.

I've definitely got my dad's Latin temper which combined with my Welsh blood is an explosive mix. But I rarely lose it, I'm a placid guy. I don't know if I'll resemble Austin Powers when I get older but I'm a fan of Mike Myers, just give me the girls! I'd pose nude again for the right price - about a tenner!

IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR

VERY 70s wallpaper! And love those curtains, they're hip again now! My taste is simple and I do like retro styles though I wouldn't say my flat is like Gracelands!

This was taken at Uncle Amleto's in Swansea, like dad he's a chef and he cooks amazing food. Mum was expecting Michael at that time in this photo.

The best thing my parents taught me was not to be afraid, to have a go at anything, if you want to do it give it a go.

A lot of parents are career-minded when it comes to their children but mine said that if you want to do it go for it.

I remember coming home to my dad and saying, `I'm going to be a singer'.

He said: `Go on then.' I think he sensed how much wanted it.

STEVE'S new album and single of the same name, All I Am, are both out now.

https://stevebalsamo.blogspot.com/

BREATHING DEEPLY - Steve Balsamo

BREATHING DEEPLY - Steve Balsamo

An Exclusive Interview

(2009-03-14)

Your performance as Jesus in the 1996 London production of Jesus Christ Superstar is unforgettable. How did you get the part?

I was in a show with another actor, and he was sick of everyone moaning about an agent, so he said: when we finish this show, I’ll become an agent. Truly enough, he became an agent and I went back to write songs and so on. A couple of years later he called me and asked what I was doing and I said I was still trying to write music and get a deal. He asked me if I wanted to audition for the part of Jesus in Superstar, and I said yeah, I’d love to. He came and listened to me singing the song.
He thought it was amazing so he called the guy who was casting it. So I went to the audition and that famous casting director saw me and cried, and after 14 auditions over the next year, I got the part. It was crazy, because I had no acting experience and they wanted to know if I could take direction. They eventually needed to match me up with Judas, to see if we were great together. The guy was called Zubin Varla, and he is a brilliant actor and we were great together voicewise. It was a very long process… and a couple of months after opening night I got a recording contract. It was all I wanted to do, and they even asked me to stay. The show had some great reviews, I had some great reviews, too. I loved that period of my life. It was an incredible learning experience, working with so many great actors and so many great musicians.

How did you prepare for the part actingwise?

I don’t come from an acting background, but I’m very good at watching people and learning very quickly. In any given situation I can clearly see what needs to be done or doesn’t need to be done. The director, Gale Edwards said: the less you do, the greater the smallest gesture may become. And I took that literally and metaphorically, and I was kind of ’reducing’ the performance to the essentials over the year .
Zubin Varla, who played Judas, was so generous with his ideas and tips, it was a fantastic experience working with him and it was easy to react to and with him.
Besides, I read lots of books and watched lots of films and talked to people who played Jesus before and I listened to every Jesus there was at the time. It was a kind of a mixture of watching and learning very very quickly and ’stealing’ from everybody.

How demanding was it to play the part eight times a week?

It was extremely demanding, but rather physically than vocally. For I took care of my voice, I did not drink or smoke or party like many of my collagues. It was essential to keep my voice in shape, for it was my debut in a leading role in the West End. So I had no problems with the vocal part, but phsyically it was a huge task; e. g. just think of carrying the cross so many times… My back was in a desperate condition by the end of the run.
However, this period was and is a greatly memorable, vital part of my life.

Getshemane is a song you performed on many stages of the world, always with huge success. Has the way you perform it changed over the years?

It has changed very much, for I was 24 or 25 when I first performed it, and now I am 37. Since then, I’ve experienced death and the loss of my mother; I got to know a lot more about myself… or, in a way, less…. If I look back on my birthday, it is always interesting to realize, how much the song has changed again. It is growing and developing, and my voice is also changing as well. It’s very strange, it has changed a lot, and yet, it hasn’t changed at all. I think it’s fantastic that destiny made me to play that all. It was my path and journey to play it.
I perform the song next time at a charity concert in Greenwich on 22 March.

Would you ever decide to play the part again?

Yes, I would, though I’d prefer to play Judas, because I think I’ve done everything I can with Jesus. I’ve changed physically and vocally as well, and the part of Judas would be a new and exciting task for me.

What other musicals would you like to take part in?

I took part in a musical entitled Poe; we recorded a studio album, and the premiere would have taken place in Germany, but it did not happen, for reasons I am not sure of.
However, I prefer creating the role entirely by myself, for it is such an exciting task. Not that I don’t like Jean Valjean, for instance, one of my favourites as well as the Phantom, who I’ d love to play.

Your band, The Storys is increasingly popular all over the world. Would you tell me the brief story of The Storys?

At the time when we formed the band, I had been through a very tough period: my mum had died, which is an incredible loss in my life. I was in desparate need of something new: I was even thinking of living the life of a Bohemian, drinking wine, painting etc, Nevertheless, music is so deeply in my soul that I could not live without it. I had an idea of forming a West Coast harmony band. At that time – around 2003 – Rob Thompson, who was in my solo band project, and I got together and started writing very quickly. Things moved fast, we formed a band and made a record. We had some great reviews, so we started to play everywhere and anywhere clubs, in pubs, etc.
Later on, when we signed to Warner Bros., I got to know that Elton John is a huge fan of our music and he even called me to tell this and to offer us the opportunity to play as a support during his European tour, which was an unbelievable experience.
Fortunately, success came along with more albums, and we also had the chance to support stars like Celine Dion or Joe Cocker.
 
Can you share with us some of your personal interests? What are your hobbies?

I want to keep fit, so I do running. I am also interested in arts, in painting and I like esoteric reading very much. I am trying to educate mysef about quantum physics and how quantum physics and the spiritual cross over. The old thoughts of spiritual connection, mind-reading and the psyche… all of these are exciting topics for me.
Besides, I am planning to go back to school to finish my degree in painting that I started several years ago.

How would you describe your philosophy of life?

That’s a deep question, even if I think about this all the time. The thing I am sure of that my soul and beliefs all root in music that makes us who we are. It may sound cliché, but I try to be in the moment, live the moment and just breath deeply.

What are your plans for the future?

The members of The Storys would like to do solo albums, so I will record one as well. Besides, I try to enjoy as much time as possible with my family. It’s such a joy watching my daughter growing up. I try to remain focused spiritually, enjoy the moment and live as full a life as possible.

What is your biggest dream?

This is not an easy question either, but I think my biggest dream is that The Storys becomed very succesful, selling millions of records worldwide.

You seem to be a person who is satesfied with his life. Am I right?

I try to be… But, you know that’s a strange thing… what is success? Is it 1 million pounds in the bank or an overall feeling of happiness? By the way, I don’t have 1 million pounds in the bank (yet! :) ), so I can’t tell you how it feels like, but success is built from many different angles… I’m satesfied with the things I've achieved, the respect I get as a singer and a writer, but I am always trying to reach even higher… And I won’t forget to breath deeply...

https://stevebalsamo.blogspot.com/

Daniel

19 February 2006 - Wales on Sunday - Nathan Bevan - My Story Has a Sting in it's Tail

19 February 2006 - Wales on Sunday - Nathan Bevan - My Story Has a Sting in it's Tail

He's not the Messiah. In fact, he's not even a very naughty boy. Actually, it's hard to imagine former Jesus Christ Superstar, er, superstar Steve Balsamo doing anything as stereotypically rock and roll as trashing a hotel room or sending a TV set sailing into the night from a top floor window. Indeed, I get the impression that if he so much as spilled his camomile tea on the bed-sheets he'd be straight on the phone to reception to ask for a cloth to clean up with.

"It's true, we are the politest men in rock," said the 34-year-old one-time West End board-treader, referring to the equally genial bandmates who make up hotly-tipped West Coast-style rockers The Storys. "You've got to be nice to people all the time," he added, "because it's like Ozzy Osbourne said, the people you meet on your way up are the same ones you'll see on your way back down again."

Relaxing in a plush red leather booth of a swanky Swansea eatery and looking thoroughly rakish and dapper with his shoulder-length hair and black linen suit, the Swansea-born singer certainly knows all about the ups and downs of show business. From his earliest memories of his Italian dad, a chef from Venice, belting out Mario Lanza standards, to the country songs his Welsh mum would sing him to sleep with, music has been in Steve's blood. Aged 17 and prompted by jealousy over his then-girlfriend's teenage crush on Jon Bon Jovi, he would trawl the decidedly unglamorous pub and club circuit of South Wales in various bands, belting out classic rock covers to regulars who'd take umbrage with the fact their bingo night was being disrupted.

"I remember one place in Bridgend years ago someone tried to strangle me as I was singing, which, as criticism goes, seemed a bit harsh," laughed Steve. "The bouncer - this big, hard, black guy with white tattoos - stepped in and really saved my bacon."

At 21 he swapped the spit and sawdust of workingmen's locals for the smell of the greasepaint and the roar of the crowd, his impressive three-and-a-half octave vocal range having landed him a role in a touring production of Les Miserables - or The Glums as it's known in Swansea. "That came as a hell of a culture shock," said the self-confessed pints-not-tights man. I was surrounded by people who'd been to theatre school and all I could do was watch them and pick things up quickly. Luckily, I'm a fast learner."

Steve shot to fame, and saw his face plastered across bus shelters nation-wide, when he landed the lead in Andrew Lloyd-Webber's musical Jesus Christ Superstar. With just one televised performance, it's said Steve caused ticket sales for the show to go stratospheric, selling more than £160,000 worth in 30 minutes.

But the desire to be a pop star was still as strong as ever. "To be honest, I could have stuck with it and earned myself a flaming fortune, but I only went into Superstar to get a recording contract out of it, and five months into the run that's exactly what happened," he said.

So, in 1997, he left behind a lucrative career as Lord Lloyd-Webber's cash cow to go his own way - but his solo career stalled when he was dropped by his record label five years later. "They ploughed a lot of money into making my record but there was all sorts of restructuring going on and people started losing their jobs," said Steve. "I'd waited for years to be signed and put something out there with my name on it, and just as I was on the brink...," he said, his voice trailing off as he drops his head into his hands in mock exasperation. "Ah well, let's just call it a bad case of musicus interruptus!"

But he remains philosophical about the whole episode. "Look, I had a big record deal, met a lot of great people and travelled the world - to me that's success. And if things hadn't happened how they did I would never have met the guys."

Along with 'the guys' - five other like-minded souls with a love for bands like The Eagles, Led Zeppelin and Fleetwood Mac - he decamped to an old cinema-turned-social club in Glyncorrwg, near Neath, called The Hall. "We went for a few weeks to rehearse and ended up staying a year," laughed Steve. Everyone was really nice to us, we'd try the songs out on them, then they'd buy us pints if they liked them."

They also got an inkling they were doing something right when they did a session for seminal Radio Two DJ Whisperin' Bob Harris. "We told him how we wrote most of the material sitting around in our guitarist Rob's kitchen in Sandfields and he said that Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young had done exactly the same in Joni Mitchell's kitchen in Topanga Canyon in California when they were starting out. We just thought, 'Perfect!'"

Although their self-titled debut album isn't even out until next month, they've already been rubbing shoulders with royalty, both of the rock variety and otherwise. "Our first proper gig was in front of about 70,000 people at the Olympic Torch event in the mall outside Buckingham Palace," said a disbelieving Steve. "We were on with the likes of Rod Stewart and James Brown - not bad company, eh?! Mind you, the organisers did make us clear up afterwards," he laughed.

And, with The Storys snapped up by Warners Records before Christmas, Steve - who recently returned to his West Wales hometown with his long-term partner Tracy after 10 years in London - knows he's a lucky man. "We begged, borrowed and stole to make this record and put our own label together, so even if there's no major label involved, it won't matter. We made it ourselves, it's exactly what we wanted and we're so proud of it. It's real music and people seem to want to have real music again."

Calling up a picture on his mobile phone of his six-month-old baby daughter Isabella, a mop of cute brown curls and bows sitting at his piano, Steve looks up and beams. "Not many get a chance like this for a second shot, and we're gonna go for it."

https://stevebalsamo.blogspot.com/
 

Steve Balsamo Biography

Steve Balsamo was born in Wales om 19 may 1971. His father, a chef from Venice, his mother Welsh.

 At school, Steve was dismissed from the choir, being told he could not sing. He channelled his creative leanings into art and attended art school to specialise in painting.

 At the age of 17, Steve once again started singing and songwriting again, forming several bands that toured pubs and clubs doing renditions of classic rock songs.He had jobs that included a stint as a piano remover and working at Port Talbot steelworks - in between bouts on the dole - taken to support himself whilst gigging, Steve secured a place at Bristol University to study Graphic Art. He turned it down to accept a place at a local music college, where he fatefully played the role of Jesus in a production of Jesus Christ Superstar. In the meantime, Steve picked up a guitar, taught himself to play and continued to write songs.

Around this time, Steve attended a workshop in Cardiff run byThe Prince's Trust for unemployed musicians. So successful was Steve's performance, that he was asked to open The Prince's Trust Masters of Music at Hyde Park in 1996. The Who ,Alanis Morissette Eric Clapton Bob Dylan were among those who entertained the 150,000 fans that day.

After a friend mentioned to Steve that Andrew Lloyd Webber was looking for a performer to play the part of Jesus. Seizing the opportunity to showcase his 3½ octave range voice, Steve was determined to get the part. Despite his lack of West End experience, Steve won the role of Jesus from the thousands who auditioned, leading to a memorable headline about the origins of the Son of God. His performance was a revelation and his face was seen on bus shelters across the capital.

On one television performance from the show he not only had Andrew Lloyd Webber weeping, but also managed to sell £160,000 worth of tickets to "Superstar" in half an hour.

 Steve signed to Columbia Records and started writing and recording his first album, "All I Am", which was released in September 2002 to great reviews. The debut single from the album, "Sugar for the Soul" even cracked the UK Top 40, was a frequently-requested favourite on The Box music channel and led to a TOTP2 appearance for Steve. The second single from the album, "All I Am", even became Ken Bruce's single of the week on Radio 2.

 Since leaving Clumbia Records , Steve has formed a band with some friends from back home in Wales. They have called themselves The Storys and they consist of Andy Collins (bass/vocals/songwriting), Dai Smith (guitar/vocals/songwriting), Alan Thomas (keyboards), Brian Thomas (drums/percussion) and Rob Thompson (guitar/vocals/songwriting) and they have a sound that is described as "raw, rocking, with influences of the Eagles Led Zeppelin and Badfinger".

The band were personally chosen to support Elton John during his 2006 stadium tour. Their debut album has been released on Korova Records.

 Steve and Storys bandmate Rob have also been working on progrock project CD ChimpanA, which Steve's vocals feature on. In January 2009, Birmingham artists Dave Cureton and Adam Gough released their debut album, "IOEarth" on which Steve appears as guest vocalist on three tracks. Steve can be seen on their myspace in a brief interview about their unusual style of "genre-defying" music. Also noteworthy is that one of Steve's IOEarth tracks marks the first time that his Mongolian throat singing talents have been showcased on any album. The album is available exclusively via the band's official website


https://stevebalsamo.blogspot.com/