Steve Abbott (musician)

Steve Abbott
Steve "Abbo" Abbott
Background information
Birth name	Steven Paul Abbott
Born	January 1960 (age 64) Luton, England
Occupation(s)	Producer, A&R executive, artist manager and concert promoter
Labels	Big Cat Records UK
Formerly of	UK Decay

Steven Paul Abbott is an English producer, A&R executive, artist manager and concert promoter. Formerly a singer/songwriter, Abbott was lead singer of the band UK Decay from 1979 to 1983.

Early life

Steven Paul ‘Abbo’ Abbott grew up on the Farley Hill Estate in Luton. He is an artist manager, film music supervisor, concert promoter, live music agent, record company A&R executive and arts consultant. He attended Farley Junior School, Rotherham High School and Luton VI Form College. Formerly a songwriter and lead vocalist with punk band UK Decay from 1979–1983. In Luton, among other activities, set up and curated Lutonia Literature Festival. He is a lifelong supporter of Luton Town Football Club.

Punk career

UK Decay

‘Abbo’ joined Luton punk band The Resistors in 1978, but renamed the group ‘UK Decay’ after seeing the phrase used on the cover story of the Daily Mirror. In an interview with Steve Keaton of Sounds music paper, Abbo used the phase ‘Goth’ to describe the band and has since been credited as the first to use the phrase to describe music and fashion. The band toured extensively around Europe on the rock and art circuits. Having supported the Dead Kennedys on their debut UK tour, the band were invited to play with them in the US and toured for five weeks in March/April 1981, playing on bills with the fledgling West Coast scene bands like Black Flag, DOA, Circle Jerks, Subhumans, Flipper and Social Unrest. The band were outspoken against racism and discrimination and were often targeted by right-wing political groups at their concerts, and their song ‘Sexual’ was one of the first to take up the issue of ‘trans’ sexuality. They made one album, entitled For Madmen Only and five singles between 1979 and 1983, spending months in the UK Independent Charts, including the punk standard "For My Country". Abbott split from UK Decay in 1983 and formed Furyo, an experimental four-piece band, releasing a mini-album and EP in the UK and a full-length album in Japan.

Return to UK Decay

In 2008, the band reformed to perform at a number of rock against racism festivals across Europe. In 2012 they recorded a new album, New Hope for the Dead, produced by Chris Tsangarides. The band also released the Wonderful Town EP in partnership with Luton Town Football Club ‘SOLYD’ and Luton Foodbank, all proceeds going to the 2 charities.

Record and managerial career

Big Cat Records UK, 1989–

In 1989, Abbott worked as an office-equipment delivery van driver in Luton to fund starting the record label known as Big Cat (UK) Ltd, named after a line in the Big Youth reggae song "Lightning Flash". His first signing was Carter USM's album 101 Damnations, which spawned the singles "Sherriff Fatman" and “Rubbish”. Other label signings include Jeff Buckley, Pavement, Luscious Jackson, Mikey Dread, Junior Delgado, Big Youth, Heather Nova, Faith Over Reason, Mercury Rev, Cop Shoot Cop, Foetus, Grandaddy. Big Cat (UK) Records was also a leading label in ambient music in 1995 with releases from EAR, Paul Schutze, Pauline Oliveros, KJ Heino, and Thomas Koner. Abbott opened a combined Bedlam Management / Big Cat (UK ) Records office at 580 Broadway, New York in 1997.

Arc of Light Classical Recordings

Abbott started this classical label by signing John Tavener, and its debut release was the first recording of his Akathist of Thanksgiving with the Westminster Abbey Choir, James Bowman and Martin Neary. Further recordings included a Grammy nominated recording of Henry Purcell's Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary, recorded at Westminster Abbey as a replica of her original funeral service on its 300th anniversary, featuring soloists Emma Kirkby and Ian Bostridge. It was Abbott's suggestion and approach to Elton John that led to Elton singing "Candle in the Wind" at Princess Diana's funeral. He also compiled and recorded the subsequent tribute record Diana, Princess of Wales – Tribute, which included new recordings by Aretha Franklin, Bryan Ferry and Peter Gabriel. Other recordings for the label included Britten’s ‘Ceremony of Carols’, Allegri’s ‘Miserere , John Tavener’s ‘Innocence’, and ‘Adeste Fidelus - Christmas with Emma Kirkby‘, including artists Emma Kirkby, James Bowman, Martin Neary, Westminster Abbey Choir, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Singers, Alice Neary.

Bedlam Management 1979–2007

Bedlam Management was started with Abbott's business partner Linda Obadiah. Management clients in popular music included EMF (whose debut single reached the US Billboard single charts "Unbelievable" and their album Schubert Dip, which sold in excess of four million copies); Claytown Troupe signed to Island Records; Mercury Rev, and Heather Nova. While classical artists managed included Hayley Westenra (2003–2009), Nicola Benedetti (2005–2009), and Aled Jones (2004–2005). During this time Abbott created and produced two groups, The Choirboys and All Angels, both of which released records on Decca Records. He also wrote and co-produced (with Ian Tilley) two albums for Westenra based on Japanese songs, which both broke into the top 10 album charts when released by Universal Japan.

V2 Records 1998–2002

After Abbott’s partner, Linda Obadiah, sold her 50% of Big Cat to Richard Branson's new V2 Records, Big Cat’s UK and US teams became the basis of the new company’s UK and North American offices. Abbott took on the role of Head of International,; helping to set the company up worldwide, moving to New York as Head of A&R North America, where he lived from 1999 until 2002. Associated acts during this time include Moby, The Black Crowes, RZA, The Jungle Brothers and The White Stripes.

Artist manager and promoter

Abbott set up a new management company and live concert agency on returning to London, which became Harmonic Artists Ltd, and currently represents Guy Chambers, Cerys Matthews, Jules Buckley, Zara McFarlane, Lang Lang (UK), Cherise, Carroll Thompson, Heather Nova and Mercury Rev, and is the concert agent for Joe Hisaishi (UK), Lang Lang (UK), Jules Buckley, Guy Chambers, Chad Lawson (UK), Zara McFarlane, Carroll Thompson, and Vanessa Wagner Abbott is on the advisory board at The Arts Club in Dover Street, London. He is Cultural Ambassador for the city of Luton. Abbott promotes and co-promotes live concerts at venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Festival Hall, Manchester's Bridgewater Hall and the Birmingham Symphony Hall. Abbott is a trustee of Tomorrow's Warriors.

The Good Life Experience Festival, Hawarden

The Good Life Experience Festival, Hawarden In partnership with his wife Cerys Matthews, and Caroline and Charlie Gladstone Abbot formed a new festival in 2014 centred around ‘The Great Outdoors’ with activities like bushcraft, lake swimming, axe throwing, trapeze, as well as international world music acts, DJ’s (Gilles Peterson, Norman Jay, Trevor Nelson), Heavenly Records, and authors and chefs ranging from Thomasina Miers, Helen Sharman, Michael Morpurgo, Michael Rosen, Ben Fogle. The last Festival was pre Covid in 2017, drawing an audience of 7,000.

Public appearances

In 2007, Abbott was a judge on the BBC Two television reality show Classical Star. In 2011, Abbott was an on-screen mentor for the BBC Two series titled Goldie’s Band: By Royal Appointment. With the help of mentors: composer Guy Chambers, jazz artist Soweto Kinch, MC/songwriter Ms Dynamite, broadcaster/singer/songwriter Cerys Matthews, and Abbott himself, a band of musicians, with "challenges" in life, worked through the series towards a live performance at Buckingham Palace in front of Prince Harry and an invited audience. Other BBC appearances include: BBC Radio 4 The Grace of Jeff Buckley; BBC Radio 4 Nitin Sawney on Jeff Buckley; BBC4 TV What Makes a Great Tenor.

Personal life

Abbott married Cerys Matthews in January 2011.