Steve Grocott has been playing guitar for over three decades, but his story began long before his first real instrument ever arrived. At ten years old, he was already “gonking” in front of the mirror with a tennis racket, miming along to his favourite rock bands — years before Guitar Hero made that sort of thing mainstream. By twelve, after his racket “needed new strings,” he scraped together enough cash to buy his first electric guitar — a copy of a Gibson ES-335 — along with a small practice amp that had one revolutionary feature: overdrive. The neighbours weren’t quite as enthusiastic. Progress came slowly at first, until a local guitarist pointed out that pressing the strings was, in fact, a key part of playing. From that day on, Steve’s musical journey truly began. Over the years, he’s performed in a wide variety of bands across the UK — from tribute acts and pub gigs to original AOR and melodic rock outfits — covering everything from corporate events to major venues supporting name artists. Live performance became his training ground, shaping the versatile and expressive style he’s now known for. Alongside performing, Steve teaches guitar and runs a guitar repair and setup service when time allows. He also spent a year studying music theory under a GIT (Guitar Institute) instructor to “finally put the music jigsaw together,” and took classical singing lessons to round out his musical foundation. A self-confessed lover of melody, Steve draws inspiration from both classical music and film scores, blending those influences into his playing. His sound fuses the emotion of melodic rock with touches of classical sophistication — “music with class,” as he describes it. Whether AOR, hard rock, symphonic, or progressive metal, this is the arena where he feels most at home. Steve shared lead and rhythm guitar duties in the melodic rock band Sevendayz with his close friend and “brother in arms” Dave Wasson, a partnership that earned the band a solid reputation on the UK live circuit. In May 2008, Sevendayz supported Frontiers Records’ melodic rockers House of Lords in Birmingham — a night that would change everything. The band was signed by a New York-based record label and flown to the U.S. later that year, just as America ushered in a new president. “It was a totally awesome experience,” Steve recalls — a dream come true. Unfortunately, as the band’s debut album neared completion, it imploded (as bands often do), and the record was never released. Even so, Steve’s story is far from over. With decades of experience, an ear for melody, and a passion that’s never faded, he continues to write, play, and teach — proof that some riffs never stop ringing.