Son of the legendary UK singer-songwriter Roy Harper, Nick Harper was born in London and raised in Wiltshire.
Having played the guitar from the age of 10 and surrounded by the likes of Keith Moon, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and Dave Gilmour as he grew up, it was no surprise when 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 long player Seedprompting The Independent to describe him as “hugely talented”.
In 1996 Nick met Squeeze frontman and songwriter Glenn Tilbrook. Tilbrook was so impressed that he offered Nick a job playing with and supporting Squeeze and promptly signed Nick to his own label, Quixotic Records.
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. This is the album that confirmed his position at the forefront of a new generation of British acoustic performers.
Between solo albums, Nick tours with a vengeance. In the first 8 months of 2005 alone, he’d traversed the UK from Devon to the most northerly point in Scotland, along with two dates in Holland and acclaimed sets at Glastonbury, Beautiful Days (with his band Sleeper Cell), Oysterband’s Big Session and other festivals including two tsunami benefit gigs in Thailand.
Plan 9 from Harperspace was the spring tour of 2007 promoting the new DVD Love Is Music – a ‘rockumentary’ style film with a selection of Nick’s best loved songs recorded in 5.1 sound.
Also recently released was Nick’s first single for download on iTunes.
Taken from the CD Miracles For Beginners and called Blue Sky Thinking it quickly went to no 1 in iTunes downloads.
All proceeds from the single were donated to the Love Hope Strength Foundation.
Nick had just returned from Nepal after setting a new world record for the highest gig on earth at Kala Pattar above Mt Everest Base Camp on October 21, 2007.
Nick has been on two further treks with the foundation to Macchu Picchu in Peru and Kilimanjaro in Tanzania helping to raise substantial funds for local cancer centres and hospitals.
He returns to Telford’s Warehouse in Chester on November 26. Call 01244 390 090 or visit www.telfordswarehouse.com.
