Steve O'Kane

Infobox musical artist
Name = Steve O'Kane


Img_capt = Steve O'Kane picture by www.joannawestbrookphotography.com
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Background = solo_singer
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Origin = UK
Instrument = Vocals, guitar, base, keyboard, harmonica
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Genre = Folk, Traditional music, Folk rock, Acoustic rock
Occupation = Musician, singer, songwriter, poet
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URL = [http://www.steveokane.co.uk/ www.steveokane.co.uk]
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Steve O’Kane is a singer, songwriter and poet based in the United Kingdom, performing in clubs, theatres, festivals and schools, as well as on local and BBC Radio.

Biography

O’Kane began writing poetry at an early age, before taking up the guitar at the age of 15, and attempting to put his work to music. He first ventured in front of an audience at The Blackmore Folk Club, one of the longest-established folk clubs in Essex. The meetings were held at The Bull public house in Blackmore, Essex, and continue today.

It was at The Blackmore Folk Club that O’Kane tried out his early attempts at reconciling guitar and poems, with offerings such as “Station Café”. It was here also that O’Kane first encountered the excellent unaccompanied singing and harmonising of English traditional songs, the club at that time being peopled by such luminaries as Roger Johnson, Simon Ritchie, Ally Byrne, (one half of “The Pansy Potters”), Brian Lynch, Peter Billinge, and many others talents. Inspired by their example, O’Kane began to include some traditional songs in his own repertoire, exploring the possibilities of two-part male/female harmony, with his partner, Fiona McBain.

Gaining confidence from the positive reaction to his work, O’Kane began performing at other venues, whilst still working on the seemingly endless inspiration to write new songs and poems. It was after performing a gig at The Hermit Club, in Brentwood, that he was approached by Dennis Rikkard, who co hosted the show “Folk-Scene” on BBC Radio. During the gig O’Kane had performed his moving song, “Sunflowers”, his unique take on the Ethiopian famine, and Rikkard had felt that it should be heard by a larger audience. It was at BBC Essex that O’Kane first met Rick Christian, Rikkard’s co-host. Christian was already a respected and established singer/songwriter in his own right, and was instrumental in helping O’Kane to become accepted as a member of P.R.S., the Performing Rights Society. O’Kane went on to perform on BBC Essex several more times, as well as on The Pete Jennings Show on BBC Radio Suffolk.

In 2001 he and Fiona McBain put together a one-night performance at The Brentwood Theatre, which sold out. After a three-year period spent writing new songs and poems, O’Kane found that a new audience and new venues had sprung up. Whilst enjoying the live performances, it became clear that there was still a demand for something more permanent, so in 2006 he bowed to pressure and gathered a small selection of 10 of his songs, and produced a CD “Talking to The Moon”. It was an eclectic mix of his work, with some tentative attempts at embellishment, but it included what was at the time his latest song, “Talking to The Moon”, and also “Station Café”, the very first poem he had put to music so long ago, as a way of making a symbolic connection, reconciling the past with the present.

The vast body of intervening work that has only been heard live is eagerly awaited by many, and rumour has it that a further CD will be produced in 2008.

Recent Performances

In 2006 O’Kane was interviewed on Whipps Cross Radio, Link F.M.Radio, and BBC Essex Radio, performing live on each occasion. He was also asked to perform for the Mayoral gathering at the official launch of Link F.M radio, to celebrate their acquisition of a Full time Broadcasting Licence.

In 2006 he was accepted into The Word Weavers, a group of poets and writers in Havering, and in 2007 he performed a selection of his poetry and songs at The Queens Theatre in Hornchurch, as a part of their presentation.

In June 2007 he opened the Leigh on Sea Folk Festival as support for Anthony John Clarke, along with fellow singer and guitarist, Ski.

Discography

* Hero in Retreat - 1992
* Talking to the Moon - 2006

External links

* [http://www.steveokane.co.uk/ www.steveokane.co.uk] — official website