Name: Steve Hempton

Hometown: Lincoln, UK (though from Preston)

Instrument: Vocals

Favourite Simple Minds songs: She's a River / Great Leap Forwards / Waterfront / Belfast Child

Favourite Depeche Mode songs: It's No Good / Policy of Truth / Home

Favourite U2 songs: Where the Streets Have No Name / Bad / Bullet the Blue Sky / Love is Blindness

Musical Influences: U2 / Simple Minds / Depeche Mode / Pearl Jam / The Doors / Chris Cornell / Frank Sinatra / Tony Bennett

Interests: My family / My dogs / Reading / Travelling / The pursuit of happiness!

Ambtions: To be fulfilled and give more than I take

Contact: N/A

Profile:

Having been involved since it's conception - and loved and hated it in equal measure, Steve now looks as the band as an old friend that will be with him forever. "It's part of me and me of it!"

Steve walks the fine line of parody and tribute in his chameleon like performances of Jim Kerr, Dave Gahan and Bono. "I feel the songs, not the person, though that doesn't mean I don't borrow bits of persona along the way - you can't help but do so."

Steve has been the most recent convert to Depeche Mode. "I can't believe I've missed out on this band," he said and with his unswerving conviction to his craft, he's now embarked on a tattoo frenzy to assist in his Gahan performance!

"I love the reaction we and the songs get and although I don't like to admit it, get a real sense of musical fulfilment. I hope that if any of the bands we cover came to see us, that they would not only feel proud of the songs they created - but be equally happy that they are being performed with true passion and conviction.

As Bono once said, "Can't sing - but I got soul!!!"