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Nick Harper Wiki Information

Nick Harper (born 22 June 1965) is an English singer-songwriter/guitarist. He is the son of English folk musician Roy Harper.

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Career

Son of the folk/blues singer-songwriter Roy Harper, Nick Harper has forged his own way ahead to become recognised as one of Britain’s finest acoustic singer/guitarists. Having played the guitar from the age of 10 (he is completely self-taught) and surrounded by the likes of Keith Moon, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and David Gilmour during his early years, Nick made his recording debut on his father's Whatever Happened to Jugula? in 1985.

Nick's talent and energy entranced Roy's fans and it was inevitable that he would begin touring and recording in his own right. The 1994 EP Light at the End of the Kennel was swiftly followed by his powerful 1995 debut album Seed prompting The Independent to describe him as "hugely talented".

A meeting with Squeeze frontman and songwriter Glenn Tilbrook in 1996 led to his playing with and supporting Squeeze and being signed to Tilbrook's own Quixotic label. Following tours in the UK, USA and Japan, Nick recorded the 1998 album Smithereens with Tilbrook as producer. This album and subsequent 40 date solo tour, including dates in New York and Glastonbury, confirmed Nick as a formidable talent in his own right. He teamed up with Tilbrook again on 2000's highly acclaimed album Harperspace .

His 2006 album Treasure Island attests to his ability to craft songs that take in, absorb and spit out coruscating political scorn (as on the tracks Knuckledraggers and Sleeper Cell), social history comment (the title track being inspired by an obscure Liverpudlian philanthropist who employed men returning from the Napoleonic Wars to dig tunnels), the seven ages of man (in the infectious melody of By My Rocket Comes Fire), pride in his country (A Wiltshire Tale is an epic poem to his beloved home county), and turn them into catchy, robust tunes that grab the ear and remain in the memory long after the last track has ended. During 2006 he played a series of festivals around the country, including acclaimed sets at the Moseley Folk Festival (Birmingham), JerseyLive (Channel Islands) and Beautiful Days (Devon), and playing live in session on Janice Long’s Radio 2 show, prompting her to describe him as “absolutely astonishing”.

2007 proved to be one of his most creative and successful years to date. Alongside live sessions for Charles Hazlewood on BBC Radio 2, Radio Wales, Scotland and a further session on BBC Radio 2 with Janice Long he released the long-awaited DVD, Love Is Music: a collection of live performances, interspersed with insights from friends, family and fellow musicians.

May 2007 saw the iTunes download release of his first single "Blue Sky Thinking", taken from the new album Miracles For Beginners . Reaching no. 1 in the iTunes chart , it received favourable reviews and radio airplay across the UK and Europe. All proceeds from the single went to the LoveHopeStrength Foundation.

In early 2007, a call from Mike Peters of Welsh band The Alarm was to lead to his involvement with the LoveHopeStrength Foundation, a cancer charity co-founded by Peters and James Chippendale to provide a global support network for cancer survivors.

After taking part in Snowdon Rocks in June 2007, a climb up Mt. Snowdon with a gig near the summit, he then went on to be part of a 38-strong team of musicians including Glenn Tilbrook, Mike Peters, Billy Duffy (The Cult) and Jimmy Barnes, mountaineers, cancer survivors and those whose lives have been affected by cancer, who took part in a 14-day trek and acoustic concert at 18,500ft at Base Camp Mt Everest in aid of the Foundation in October 2007. The Everest Rocks trek culminated with a grand finale concert in Kathmandu on October 29 and raised more than US$250,000 for the only charitable cancer hospital in Nepal, situated at Bhaktapur (approx. 10 miles east of Kathmandu). Alex Coletti (producer of MTV's Unplugged series) filmed the trek for a documentary, Everest Rocks, which premiered on the Palladia channel on September 7 2008 and also released on DVD,

His sixth studio album, Miracles For Beginners , was released in June 2007. A ten-track album of love songs, witty parodies and social and political comment, including "Field of the Cloth of Gold", a track that refers to a meeting of the kings of France and Spain 500 years ago, with a parallel reference to today's music festivals), "Evo" (inspired by the Bolivian president, Evo Morales), the quirky "Simple", and "Blue Sky Thinking", a heartfelt ballad on a theme of 'looking outside the box'.

With 6 studio albums, a double live CD and 2 EPs (including Instrumental , a stunning display of his guitar talents) under his belt, Nick’s work is as fresh and as vital as that of his first solo release fourteen years ago.

Following his 25-date Dig On Down UK Tour during February/March 2008, which took him across the country from Penzance to Glasgow, he played a number of UK festivals, as well as a series of open-air dates as special guests to the Levellers (his own set at the Beautiful Days festival included a duet with Levellers’ vocalist/guitarist Mark Chadwick of Don’t You Grieve). During 2008 he was also asked to work with British grime artist Dizzee Rascal for a live session recorded for Jo Whiley’s BBC Radio 1 show.

2008 ended with an appearance at London's Royal Albert Hall on September 27 2008 (where he introduced his 12-year-old daughter Lily on stage at the end of the set to accompany him on Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s Our House – as he had done with his own father Roy some 35 years before on the same stage), and a series of live shows in Norway and Italy in November.

In October 2008, Nick together with Mike Peters and a group of musicians and 55 cancer survivors and supporters, raised over $100,000 to purchase much needed cancer screening and treatment equipment for local cancer hospitals in the Andean region during a 10-day Inca Trek Trail from Cusco to Machu Picchu, Peru. Along the way, the participating artists jammed for locals, before playing a benefit concert in Lima on the last night. A documentary film and DVD will follow during 2009.

In January 2009 he embarked on 'The 38 Tour' covering 38 dates across the UK. Kicking off performing at Celtic Connections on January 22 at Glasgow’s Classic Grand, the tour continued around the country, culminating on May 9 at Hebden Bridge Trades Club.

During the rest of 2009, he will be working on his next studio album, performing at festivals in the UK, playing dates in Europe and the U.S. before undertaking another charity trek with the Love Hope Strength Foundation.‘Kilimanjaro Rocks’, September 27 – October 9, will again bring together musicians, supporters and cancer survivors in a bid for the world’s highest concert at Uhuru, the 19,341ft peak of Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. The trek and concerts will raise funds for bone marrow drives and the main cancer centre in Nairobi, Kenya.

Live work

Nick frequently plays solo acoustic tours of the UK. In addition, each summer he covers the European festival circuit. In 2003, he was awarded a Herald Fringe Angel award for performance excellence at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where he has played many residencies in recent years. He performed at the 2004 Cropredy Festival and Leicester's Summer Sundae. Harper has also played sets at the Glastonbury and Beautiful Days festivals in summer 2005. He also played shows in Thailand to raise money for Indian Ocean tsunami relief.

In summer 2006, he again played a multitude of festivals, including the Moseley Folk Festival, Jersey Live, Beautiful Days and Clonakilty's second annual Guitar Festival, along with appearances at festivals in France and Catalonia. In November 2007, he performed at the International Guitar Festival of Great Britain for the fourth time.

In 2008 he performed at Trowbridge Village Pump Festival, Beautiful Days, Newquay's Rip Curl Beach Sessions and Tenby Folk Festival.

Reviews

{{ #ifexist:Category:Cleanup from March 2009 Reviews for Miracles For Beginners:

Mojo: "Miracles For Beginners, his most focused, warm and triumphant album to date" (4 stars)

BBC Online: "Miracles For Beginners is trademark Nick - perfectly constructed folk tunes with impassioned, and often witty, lyricism."

Scottish Herald: "Shameless love songs, a heartfelt tribute to the Bolivian president and a kind of medieval talking blues are all borne on masterful acoustic guitar patterns...ten minor miracles." (4 stars)

Twisted Ear: "This album is simply superb...an essential acquisition." (5 stars)

Americana UK: "Songs of class and distinction. This album should be in most homes."

The Sun: "Like his dad, he's a fine folk troubadour and a great guitarist...this is a witty, vibrant affair...a rewarding listen." (3.5 stars)

Rock 'n' Reel: "...his latest album, Miracles For Beginners, really does shine out as the greatest achievement in a long and often remarkable career."

Work with other artists

Nick's first recordings and major live exposure were with his father Roy Harper. He still works and tours with Roy occasionally.

Nick was a touring member of British pop/rock band Squeeze from 1996-7 and played on one track on their 1998 Domino album. Glenn Tilbrook of the band produced Nick's Smithereens and Harperspace albums, which were released on Glenn's Quixotic label. The pair often work together, with Nick most recently appearing on Glenn's 2004 solo album Transatlantic Ping-Pong .

Nick has written and played with Brighton-based political indie group The Levellers. He guested on the band's Top 40 UK single 'Make U Happy' - he co-wrote, played and sang on B-side 'Not In My Name'.