CV

After having turned professional
as a drummer in 1980 and
touring on the working club
scene for a few months, I left the UK.
In Paris I developed a mini drumset
(20 years before the modern Jungle Kits of today)
and played with rock groups, jazz, theatre and solo.
I also performed in all kinds of locations.
Developing my identity and creativity.
All through the 80's I performed all over Europe
from Norway to Yugoslavia.
Recording for various labels in Sweden,
Denmark and Germany.

In 1990 I hammered out my first gong.
This opened up a whole new world for me
and I constantly worked on my metalcraft
with guidance from metalworker friends
and a Norwegian blacksmith who
after a long time of observation gave me
a masterclass in forging techniques.
I learnt welding and started creating
steel sculptures.
In 1995 I had my first solo exhibition
in Aarhus with steel sculptures, gongs
and mobiles and since then I've exhibited
in Norway, Germany, Holland,
Belgium, Switzerland, England and Wales.

After a very vivid dream in the early 90's
I saw a drummer playing a percussion set
with a living bronze dragons wing.
I knew I had to try and make
this into an instrument.
It was in 1997 that I finally forged
my first Dragon Cymbal.
This led to a new direction of creating
cymbal and gong sculptures which
opens up new possibilities with
sound and a different approach
to performing on these sculptures.
My percussion set eventually became
a sculpture in itself, incorporating forked
(wood) branches for the stand with a forged
iron beam that everything is bolted onto.
For practical reasons I built a lightweight
set around 20 kilo's.
Which is about as light as I can get
it with the sounds I need.
I've also started to use aluminium for
drum shells and drum rings,
I recently have started to use sticks,
branches or bamboo which I aquire on
location to assemble pyramid gong stands.
Since 1999 I have made my own sticks
and mallets from branches that I find in
woodlands and forests in different countries.

I'm working constantly with sculpture.
Mostly cut and forged stainless steel,
ocassionaly forged iron.
My sonorous sculptures are now mostly
forged in stainless steel, although I still
work with bronze for certain works.
I create all the forms I work with by
cutting and grinding, hammering and fire.

I'm developing my solo performances with
my percussion sculptures and gongs,
moving towards a trancelike experience with
resonant metal sounds and powerful rhythms.
I'm involved with the English group Cipher
with Theo Travis and Dave Stuart and
visual artist Jim Boxhall for Elemental Forces
project for the East Midlands Arts Council
in England.

I still perform with some of Europes best improvisors.
Dietmar Diesner, Frode Gjerstadand Ad Peijnenburg.
Percussion duo recording projects with
Paal Nielsen Love and Erik Qvick.
Contemporary percussion with Trevor Taylor
and Dirk Wachtelaer in Kortrijk Percussion Ensemble.
I'm also working more with frame drums
and bohdran and rediscovering my Celtic roots.
Recreator will be recording and performing more
in the future and Metal Moves will be performing
on new sculptures with more trancelike,
powerful energies in unusual locations
- such as castles, forests, docklands,
industrial zones and old buildings.

Montreux Jazz Festival 2000

I'm from Barry in South Wales
on the Welsh Riviera.
I started playing drums
in my Bedroom when
I was 15 and upset all the neighbours.


(Photo by Sif)

My favourite LP at this time
was Deep Purple's "Fireball."
At 16 I had to work, so I worked on ships
for 2 years including lighthouse supply vessels,
Freighters and Research vessels.
Then all sorts of jobs, like grave digging,
this did my head in, especially after an
horrific experience with a half decomposed stiff.
At 19 years of age I attended
Barry Jazz Summerschool
and that was the catalyst that sealed my destiny.
After seeing and hearing Tony Oxley
play, I really started to work.
During a workshop with Phil Waschmann
and Evan Parker
(I didn't have a clue what was happening)
Evan's playing opened me up
to sound exploration and colour.

Steve backstage at Reading Festival - circa 1979.
Photo by Taif.

After this I started a Jazz and
Rock club at the Barry Hotel.
Wednesday nights for Jazz
and Friday for the rock.
The Jazz club promoted all kinds of jazz
and quickly gained a good reputation.
Various organisations wanted to be involved,
but they did not want to help financial.
The Welsh Jazz Society put on Don Weller
and Bryan Spring Quartet and Sam Woodyard.
The rest was done without support,
just wits and good intentions.
The manager of the hotel
was not always delighted
with some of the colourful characters
that participated in these events
and it all came to a sudden close
after a certain local musician was cought
red handed helping himself to a
generous glass of cognac behind the bar.

Forged Iron 2003
(Photo Steve Hubback)

In 1980 I got my first professional gig
with a comedy show band from
Birmingham called "The Funnybones."
The music just was not happening,
but their humour on the road
was quite amusing.

Anyway, after the first 2
weeks of being in the band,
the money went down and soon after I was
getting less than I would on the dole.
So I quit during a tour in Scotland.

1981. Then I was in Paris where the seeds
of culture were planted in my soul.
I played with "The Jive", a rock n roll trio
with rather mischievous characters.
We played at culture centers in the Paris suburbs.
The Jive only lasted a couple of months,
and then I met guitarist Bob
Goffo Goffman at Les Halles.
We made a trio with an
Argentinian contrabass player,
he vanished for a while (he actually was arrested
an invited to spend a week in Jail for not having
his papers in order) so while the bassist was in jail
we met the amazing poet/guitarist/songwriter
and singer Joe Hamilton and we formed "Splat!"
and became a cult band on the Paris underground.
I remember this French geezer who became
our manager, after some disastrous bookings,
he was fired. Some time later I noticed
our ex manager begging in the metro.
Then we ended up living in 2 rooms at
Place de Innocents with an ex millionaire,
who had gone from owning a castle to,
well, living in 2 rooms that were certainly
not, to the standard he had once known.
I must say he took it all very
well and had good humour.

"Splat" was an experience with entertaining
activities happening every day,
it was also good to be playing and
developing my skills every day.
I also met and worked with the legendary
African singer/guitarist Razz Johnny.
I played percussion with Italian
dancer Loredana Celi.
My first experience with avant garde theatre.
Did a gig standing in for Sam Woodyard
one night in Versailles with Bob Vatel.
He was great, a really good guy.
I developed my mini drum set 16 inch bass drum,
8 and 10 inch toms, 10 inch snare or
Sonor orchestral piccolo snare.
This was way before the
new Jungle kits of today.
For 10 years you couldn't even
buy 10 inch snare wires.
I had to make my own.
I played all the time and really developed
my drumming and musicality.
Discovered Italian cymbals
ufip, tosco and zanki and
played ufips up until 1990,
when I started making my own cymbals.
I also played at The Cardiff festival in 1982
with Keith Tippet and Alan Wilkinson.

Played in various groups with Fellow
Welshman Dave Hoppo Hopkins and Goffo.
Until 1985 I formed "It's My Head" with Goffo.
We did various concerts in Scandinavia.
After Goffo quit in 1986 the great Norwegian
photographer Per Talleraas
(we met on the train from Copenhagen
to Oslo and were the only 2 people
to be searched by the Swedish customs officers,
a most unpleasant experience)
joined as viual artist.
Projecting his Slides and
super 8 films and in 1987
I persuaded the Swedish phenomenon
Jorgen Cremonese to join on guitar.
He's still one of the most
incredible guitarists I know.
We played major events in Scandinavia and
recorded the now legendary "It's My Head"
(grey) album on Urania records which
is now classed as Romantic Gothic!
and is still getting reviews.

1986. I got my first record deal in Berlin
with "Dossier records" and
released my first solo LP
"Be Alright When I'm Dead"
Played extensively all over
Europe, festivals, concerts.
Played drums for a Solkorset installation
that was televised in Aarhus.

1987. I joined Morten Lervigs Atlantis Transit
and played interesting venues .
parks in Copenhagen,
Carlsberg glyptoteket.
Studio broadcast for national Danish TV
featuring sceneography by Per Victor
and we recorded 1 LP
"Tabor" for "Olufsen Records".
Played at the "SULT Festival" in
Aarhus with Henrik Jespersen.
Performed a solo concert
at "Druga Godba festival"
in Ljubljana which also
featured David Moss,
Jon Rose, Elliot Sharp and
the legendary Taxi Pata Pata.

1988. Lots of different musical work including
a 14 day tour of East Germany (DDR) with
Dietmar Diesner, one of Europe's best
and most creative saxophonists.
"It's My Head" co headlined UR Festival
at Hennie Onstad Senter outside Oslo.

Northern Lights in Reykjavk 2003.
(Photo by Steve Hubback)

1989. Concerts with Atlantis Transit.
It's My Head Participated with Harald Viuff,
Loredana Celi, Z'ev, Bird Yak and Kix
on the infamous Mad House.
I remember 2 hours before the show opened,
a large pool of water had been constructed
using chairs as the rim and a heavy
tarpaulin tucked over them.
A vast amount of water had been
pouring in and at the critical moment,
I saw while eating my dinner,
the whole thing break apart
and a tidal wave came at the diners.
This greatly upset everyones meal
and a high stress situation arose,
trying to clean out the water,
not get electrified and rebuild the pool.
The audience experienced something unusual,
which is that we insisted that everyone
be given free wine to enjoy during the show.
You can imagine the results.

1990. Started to learn gong making -
which then went into cymbal making.
Learnt welding and blacksmithing
and started to create sculptures.
My gongs and cymbals were played
by great musicians such as Paolo Vinaccia,
Marilyn Mazur and Joe Lovano.
Played a solo support concert for
Bill Brufords Earthworks in Aarhus.
Last "It's My Head" performance at Huset
Aarhus during the jazz festival.
The line up on this occasion
was me and Kim Gronborg.
Performed at Aarhus Jazz Fest.
Worked with Harald Viuff and
Oivind Weingaarde on Icarus,
large outside performance and I destroyed
a rented cement mixer before the show.
Had a 3 meter spiralling flame coming out
of the barrel - Awesome!
Just so happened that this mixers drive cog
was solid rubber which melted
and the whole thing seized,
an expensive experience
that the video crew missed.

1991. Performed on Solkorset events,
solo percussion performances
and worked on metalwork.
Performed with Pipaluk in Vibration.
Circle of gongs and dancers
at Ridehuset in Aarhus.

1992. Toured Scandinavia with The Directors.
Played 2 nights at Soothed
By Music Festival in Aarhus.
Became a part of Amorfus
with Bastiaan Maris, Geo Homsey,
Barry Schwartz, Shelley Cooke, Barney
Haynes, Kim Gronborg and Robyn Lubeker.
Made the worlds biggest gong,
155kilos, 4mm thick, 2.5 meters diameter.

1993. Went to Eindhoven to create
an exhibition of gongs at de Fabriek.
Performed with The Directors -
Jon Klette and Tony Moore.
Exhibited giant gong at Parkens
Anatomi Sculpture Park in Aalborg.
Together with guitarist Egill Johannsson
and Didgeridoo player Ewin McKinnon
composed and recorded music for the
documentary film "Van" by Jan Haugaard.

1994 Concerts in Scandinavia and
NL as solo percussionist.
Worked on sculptures.
Recording with Tony Moore and started
on the first Metal Moves recordings.
Performed at De Onderwereld
in Eindhoven with Taif, Tony
Moore, Stok and Geo Homsey.
This event featured a propane dragon,
triggered by my bass drum
with the flames shooting out of the water.
The dragon was built by Stok and Geo Homsey.

1995. First solo exhibition at
Aften Galleriet in Aarhus.
Gallery was packed with people
and performed with Tineke Noordhoek
and later with Tony Moore.
BBC Radio broadcast with
Tony Moore in London.
Performed in Berlin and Oslo.
Selected sculptures at Oslo Jazzhouse.

1996 I spent a month in South Korea
with Lim Dong Changs World is One Ensemble
which featured fellow Welshman Tony Brooks.
This was a fantastic experience and we met
many amazing people including
the Buddhist master drummer
Kim Dae Hwan.

Later that year I created Sea Sculptures
for Kolding Fjord and performed in
Kolding Harbour (on a raft) and
Copenhagen with The Hydronorts.
Bastiaan Maris, Geo Homsey, Stok,
Barry Schwartz, Harald Viuff and Paul Burwell.
Created first ever gong sculpture in Wales.

1997. I toured with Frank
Castro and Gum Drum.
The 97 Swiss tour was was of the funniest
weeks of my life, really funny crew.
4 drummers and Frank doing
voodoo/Shaman performance.
Later did a 2 month European
tour with Gum Drum.
Large solo exhibition and Metal Moves
concert at 2B in Eindhoven.

1998. Exhibitions in NL and Germany.
Solo concerts -2 weeks solo exhibition
at Rastatte in Aachen.
Composed and recorded music for the film
"Gracias a la Vida" by Marret Jansen.

Steve Hubbacks new percussion sculpture

1999, Recorded in Stavanger
with Frode Gjerstad.
Exhibition of gong sculptures
at Gallery Sting
and exhibited steel sculptures
at Gallery Neo.

2000. Metal Moves played
at Montreux Jazz Fest,
Effenaar and Tromp in Eindhoven.
Performed with Assif Tsahar at
Zuid Nederlands Jazz Fest in Eindhoven.
Started recording with Ad Peijnenburg.
Formed "Recreator" with Nick
Le Beat and Theo Travis.
First concert in Iceland for Purpuri
fashion show with Jord Bifast.

2001. Concerts and recording in
Norway with Frode Gjerstad.
Worked with Dirk Wachtelaer and
Trevor Taylor in Kortrijk Belgium,
recorded and performed at
Happy New Ears Festival
as Kortrijk Percussion Project.

2002. National Icelandic TV broadcast
on Mosaig with Jord Bifast.
First Recreator concerts in Belgrade -
Refract Festival and at a park in Utrecht.
Metal Moves live national Dutch TV
broadcast on Vrije geluiden on VPRO.
Metal Moves concert at Oslo University.

2003. Exhibition of sculptures
at Oslo University.
Metal Moves played at Rock am
Sogn Festival in Oslo.
Welsh Film maker Tom Swindell starts
filming documentary of my work in Oslo.
RecordedgOff The Map in Oslo
with Paal Nielsen Love.
Exhibited a percussion sculpture at
Washington Gallery Penarth in South Wales.
Smaller sculpters at Gallery Fold in Reykjavik..

2004. Founded the Festival of Wonerous
Sounds (Undraverk) in Iceland
with Sif G and Erik Qvick.
Festival featured Metal Moves performing
on a new set of sculptures in Stainless steel
(stainless steel generously sponsored
by Malmtekni in Reykjavik)
Z'ev performed solo.
Erick Qvick performed solo and Trevor Taylor
performed on the incredible Sculptures Sonores
by Francois and Bernard Baschet.
Metal Moves performed at
Southend Jazz festival in England.
Created 3 stainless steel sculptures for
Coed Hills Rural artspace in Wales.
The 2 sonorous sculptures Traveller and
Dragonchyme are permanently installed there.

Steam shooting up in Iceland

2005. Exhibition and solo performance
at Red Biddy Gallery in Guildford England.
Working together with Cipher,
Theo Travis and Dave Sturt
and visual artist Jim Boxal
for a large scale concert for
East Midlands arts Council.
First book of sculptures Fire and Steel
published by Soundworld in England.
Creating new sculptures and working
on solo trance drumming.
Filming me making gongs and sculpture
forging at Coed Hills in July.
Finish filming the documentary
with Tom Swindell in August.

Porthkerry Viaduct in Barry South Wales

Alexanda Calder. Tony Oxley.
Einsturzende Neubauten. Jon Christensen.
Deep Purple. Gentle Giant. Paul Delvaux.
Iron Maiden. Audun Kleive. Alan Stivell.
Arnold Haukeland. Terje Rypdal.
David Smith. Peter Sellers. Tommy Cooper.
Eduardo Chillida. Jean Tinguelly.
Nikki de Saint Phalle. G F Handel. Antonio Vivaldi.
Frank Zappa. Edgar Varese.
Edward Vesala. Jorgen Cremonese.
Per Talleraas. Arne Granbjerg.
Birgit Lokke Larsen. J S Bach.
Joan Miro. Harry Bilson. Iannis Xenakis.
Krystof Penderecki (Symphony) Havergal Bryan.
Lim Dong Chang. Kim Dae Hwan,
Frank Perry. Samul Nori. Deke Leonard,
Miles Davis. Lars Vilks and Ladonia. Paolo Vinaccia.
The master Italian bronzecasters and smiths.

Festivals and Tours

1986. Berlin Atonal Festival.
West Germany.

1987. Druga Godba, Ljubljana,
Jugoslavia. SULT, Aarhus, DK.

1988 UR-Festival at Hennie Onstad Senter, Norway.
´Joy of Life´ for Aarhus
Festweek. 2 weeks tour of East Germany
with saxophonist Dietmar Diesnar.

1989 Aarhus Jazzfest, DK . Brecon Jazz Festival, Wales.
Termite Festival - Leeds, England.

1990 Aarhus Jazzfest, DK. Ícarus´ Aarhus festweek ,DK

1991 Vibration dance theatre. Aarhus, DK

1992 Toured Norway, Sweden and Denmark with
'The Directors'.

1993 Aarhus Festweek. Soothed By Music, Aarhus.

1994 Aarhus Festweek.

1995 Aarhus festweek.
Berlin concerts with Cellist Tony Moore.

1996 South Korean Tour with 'Lim Dong Chang'
Kolding Fjord, sea sculptures and floating concert.
Holmen drydock - Copenhagen Kultur City.

1997 Tour of Switzerland with Gum Drum.

1998 European tour with Gum Drum.

2000 Montreux Jazzfestival, Switzerland.
Reykjavik concerts.
Zuid Jazzfestival, Eindhoven, NL.

2001 Festival Of Confusion.
Basel, Switzerland.

2001 Happy New Ears festival,
Kortrijk. Belgium.

2002 Refract Festival,
Belgrade, Jugoslavia.

2003 Rock am Sogn Festival. Oslo Norway.
Sculptures exhibited and Metal Moves concert.

2004 Undraverk festival Iceland

2005 Peace festival Eindhoven
Dutch tour with Ad Peijnenburg
Stone circle ceremony at Coed Hills Wales

2006 Gong camp Dorset, England

1992. Forged worlds biggest gong. 2.5 meters,
140 kilos from 4mm , 304 alloy - stainless steel sheet
for Ámorfus´ project Aarhus, DK. Also featured
Bastiaan Marris, Barry Schwartz and Chico McMurtry

1992 2.5 meter gong at
'Parkens Anatomi' kildeparken, Aalborg, Denmark.

1993 Percussion sculptures.
De Fabriek, Eindhoven, Holland.

1995 1 month solo exhibtion of Steel sculptures,
mobiles and percussion at
'Aftengalleriet' Aarhus, Denmark.
Selected sculptures at Oslo Jazzhus, Norway.

1996 Sea sculptures in Kolding Fjord, Norway.
Sculptures and performance at Holmen drydock,
Copenhagen Kultur City, Denmark.

1997 Steel sculptures, mobiles and percussion
sculptures at Rastatte, Aachen, Germany.
1st Metal Moves concert and exhibition
at 2B Eindhoven, Holland.

1998. Exhibition of sculptures and
percussion performance at Van Stratum
electrotechniek, Geldrop, Holland.

1999 Sculptures and performance
at Kakaofabriek, Helmond,NL.
Steel sculptures
at Gallerie Neo, Stavanger, Norway.
1 month exhibition of Gong Sculptures
at Cafe Sting Gallerie. Stavanger, Norway.

2001 Steel sculptures and percussion sculptures
at Wartekk, Basel, Switzerland.

2002 Collective sculptures,
Zomerexpositie, Bronlaak 2002, NL.
´Hydronort´7 (stainless steel sculpture)
purchased by the Krabbedans Gallery
in Eindhoven, NL.
´Hydronort 8´ (stainless Steel sculpture) and
´Trolldman´(forged Iron Sculpture)
on Exhibition at The Krabbedans.

2003. Læknasetrið Ltd. Purchased 2 wall reliefs
"Fire and Ice" in bronze and Nickel Silver.
Steel sculptures and 1 bronze sculpture
at Galleri Fold. Reykjavik
Performance and exhibition of percussion sculpture
at Washington Gallery. Penarth. South Wales.

2003. 2 Steel sculptures in statue garden
Gallery De Waalstoep, Rossum, Netherlands.

2004. Galleri List: Reykjavik.

2004. Salurinn: Kopavogur. Iceland

2004 Paris Art gallery. Southend. England

2004 Coed Hillls Rural Artspace. Wales.

2005 Red Biddy Gallery. Shalford. England

2006 Jardin d'illumination at Coed Hills. Wales

  2006. Stainless steel sonorous sculptures garden
- Jardin d'illumination in the Gothic Quarter
at Coed Hills Rural Artspace in St Hilary,
South Wales.

1988 Studio broadcast with Atlantis Transit.
National Danish Broadcasting. DR.

1994 Soundtrack for documentary film
'Van' by Jan Haugaard.

1995 BBC Radio 3 'Impressions'.
Studio broadcast with cellist Tony Moore.

1996 Denmarks Radio 3.
Interview/documentary with the Hydronorts.

1996. National South Korean news
with Lim Dong Chang.

1999 Soundtrack for the animation film
'Gracias A la Vida' by Marret Jansen.

2001 Concertzender. NL.
Metal Moves, Recreator.

2002 Studio broadcast with Jord Bifast.
National Icelandic TV.

2002 VPRO. Live broadcast with Metal Moves.
National Dutch TV.

2002 Interviews on
National and local Serbian TV.

2004 Icelandic TV broadcast on
Mozaig with Ad Peijnenburg.

Zapguz