Stephen Roper
Guitarist/ Singer/ Songwriter/ Performer/ Music Tutor
Currently
Stephen is in the process of putting together an album available for download. Live recordings of these songs can be found on the Home page of this website.
Stephen continues to attend enjoyable open mic and jam nights
August 2021
Stephen performed on his first boat gig. He had the pleasure of playing on the Consuta 2, Hobs Of Henley.
May - July 2021
More gigs starting to come in as restrictions start to ease again. More venues are brining back in live music and people are starting to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries again.
January 2021
With another lockdown and further restrictions in place, live music has taken yet another hit. Venues closing and online sessions growing stronger. Stephen contues to expand his repertoire of cover songs.
December 2020
Further restrictions are coming into play, a tier system has been introduced by the government, affectively closing most venues throughout the country. Things quickly become more difficult for performing musicians and venues everywhere!
Stephen was able to get the highly talented drummer Lee Aaron to record some drum parts for him for his upcoming album planned for release in 2021.
With jam nights coming back into play, Stephen his first taste in a long time of hopefully the start of many Freakjam jam nights, playing bass for the houseband and and anyone who requested at Sycamore Halls Community Centre, Baskingstoke.
24th December 2020
Back by popular demand at The New Club, Wheatley!
Stephen was fortune enough to play at one of the few venues able to stay open at this time (the very next day unfortunatley, The New Club had to join other venues and close).
It was a Christmas Eve gig inside the club this time for an evening of some good old 'socially distanced' sitting, eating and drinking live music.
September 2020
Gig at The New Club, Wheatley. First gig since Covid began. Gin night gig at The New Club in Wheatley. A lively afternoon of outdoor drinking and live music!
Gig at Frimley Green Club in Camberly. Second gig in two weeks and since returning from Australia. This time inside. Things appear to be heading in the right direction. Music is allowed indoors, but dancing or singing is strictly forbidden for punters!
August 2020
Venues have started to allow live music again, outside only (thankfully the weather has been fairly accomandating). First taste of playing in public for some time at the Butler in Reading. More outdoor jam sessions are appearing around the country, grey news for all performers everywhere!
April 2020
Stephen had his first taste of a jam night, ‘Covid style’ since his return home from Australia. Due to everyone having to keep away from each other and ‘socially distance’, the new format for jam nights are all online based.
Stephen performed ‘King Of Wishful Thinking’ by Go West and ‘Lifting Me Higher’ by Jackie Wilson from the comfort of his own sofa, to the hosts and viewers of ‘Radio Freak Jam’ in it’s fourth week of Internet Jamming.
Stephen is taking this time to fine tune his solo set in his very own music studio whilst recording videos for his friends, family and fans.
May 2020
Not much is happening on the music performing side as the country is in lockdown. All venues are closed and performing musicians are effectively out of work!
Venues in the UK are set to re-open from the 4th July, there is no talk about when live music will be back in these venues, but fingers crossed it'll be soon
Arrival back in the Uk
Due to unforeseen circumstances with the Coronavirus outbreak, all venues where the gigs would have taken place have been closed and live music has ceased. Not all is lost, with the internet at hand, Stephen has been able to take part in online open mic nights. He has also kept himself busy performing regular 30 minute slots every Monday from 7pm for several weeks now.
While in Australia, Stephen has been putting together a repertoire of songs to perform as a solo acoustic artist in venues on his return to the UK.
Just before returning home, Stephen secured a busking licence in his birthplace of Sydney and busked in the beautiful Hyde Park by the Archibald fountain.
March 21st 2020 Stephen and his trusty Yamaha travel guitar arrived home from a flight from Sydney via Hong Kong after cutting short a six month trip in Australia and New Zealand due to the Coronavirus.
March 2020
in Melbourne. Stephen performed in St Kilda in an Open Mic night and busked in the Mount Waverley suburb.
February 2020
Stephen visitied Perth and played a fifty minute set for the Perth Open Mic group at the Carlisle pub.