Stage Name: Shady Grady
NTRANZE Start Date:
1998; Founding Member, Band Leader and Manager
Hometown:
Rock Hill, S.C.
Instruments:
Lead Vocals, Bass, Keyboards, and Guitar
Influences:
Earth, Wind and Fire, Jackson 5 and The Beatles
NTRANZE Start Date:
1998; Founding Member, Band Leader and Manager
Hometown:
Rock Hill, S.C.
Instruments:
Lead Vocals, Bass, Keyboards, and Guitar
Influences:
Earth, Wind and Fire, Jackson 5 and The Beatles
Having played with various bands over the years, Steve Senes has amassed quite a largevariety of styles ranging from Rock, Metal, Country to Funk, R&B and Soul. Every band Stevehas played with has left a mark on his playing and writing style. This diversity is especiallyevident on Steve's debut solo instrumental CD, "dE-eVolution oF thEorY".
Released in November 2010 to rave reviews throughout Europe, this instrumental foray takesyou on a wild ride through many styles and vibes of music, through the aforementioned genres,also including hints of Latin, Jazz, even a Classical moment or two. The variety can only bedescribed as schizophrenic musical bliss! As one listens through this collection, the diversity
even among the heavier rock tracks, is pronounced and sets it apart from so many otherInstrumental rock releases. It's this diversity and attention to how the song “feels” that Stevehopes will become the signature hallmark of his instrumental guitar career. Completely selfwritten, performed, produced, engineered and mixed, "dE-eVolution oF thEorY" is an excellent
showcase of Steve's many musical talents.
"Senes gave a totally kick-ass performance, wowing judges and audience alike with his
chops, dynamics, tone, and attitude." -GuitarPlayer.com
“First of all, where have you been and why are we just now getting to hear you ...you
have a style all your own but I just have to say this - Yngwie Who?” - Jennifer Batten,
longtime guitarist for Michael Jackson, Jeff Beck Group, Solo Artist
“...just magical. (It) really floored me. Excellent! - Greg Hampton, producer for Ronnie
Wood, Alice Cooper, Lita Ford, etc...
“Steve is an incredibly talented player who has chops, melody as well as groove...Steve
has the skills to become the next great instrumental guitarist of our time!" - Trace Davis,
Owner of Voodoo Amplification
“Wow - wow wow wow! Amazing man. After listening to 15 other guitar players...you
managed to light the place up. You're great...the only question is why we haven't heard of
you yet, you're good...” - Elliot Easton of The Cars
“...absolutely amazing...you got a shot at doin' something Pal” - Earl Slick, guitarist for
John Lennon, David Bowie
“Badass! You're my new favorite guitar player...I wanna be you when I grow up” -
Legendary Guitarist Steve Lukather of Toto
So who is this guy? Imagine if you will the soulful, melodic catchiness of Joe Satriani, EricJohnson and George Lynch; the sneaky, rhythmic quickness of old school Eddie Van Halen andNuno Bettencourt; the harmonic complexity of Steve Vai and Jason Becker; the insane shred ofYngwie Malmsteen and Paul Gilbert. Now add the drum and bass-heavy crunch of Metallica;
the brutal grooviness of Pantera, Disturbed and Sevendust. Toss in a cool Latin journey alaCarlos Santana; even take a trip back to the 70’s on a Starsky and Hutch vibe.
The above is but a glimpse of the music of guitarist/songwriter Steve Senes. Combining amultitude of styles, culled from many years of touring the U.S. playing almost every type of clubscene imaginable (Rock, Metal, Disco, Country etc.) Steve is able to musically craft and tell astory taking the listener up, down, and a little sideways, all without relying on lyrics and vocals,and manages to show some impressive guitar skills as well!
Since discovering the music of KISS at the age of 7, loud pounding Rock-n-Roll has played acentral roll in Steve's life. Growing up in a rural town fifty miles south of Washington, D.C., out ofrange of most radio stations (no MTV), exposure to new music wasn't easy to come by. Being
content with the escape provided through the music of such bands as KISS, Iron Maiden,AC/DC, Van Halen and Ozzy (to name but a few), Steve didn’t actually start playing seriouslyuntil the age of 15, after hearing the insane playing of Yngwie Malmsteen.
According to Steve, “I was at a party and my friend Dave said “hey check this out”, and puts onthe live Alcatrazz album. As soon as I heard Yngwie’s playing, I committed myself to becomingthe best player I could be, right there on the spot!”
Solely self-taught, Steve quickly began building a name for himself, pulling off Randy Rhoadsand Van Halen solos by ear, only mere weeks after picking up the guitar. Cutting his teeth playing the local scene, Steve learned early on to love the stage. Driven by this, Steve retreated into an almost unimaginable practice regimen. On days when he actually went to school, Steve was playing guitar 12 to 14 hours a day, sometimes more.
All the heavy practicing began to pay off early as Steve started entering and winning every guitar contest within driving range (including one judged by the legendary Steve Vai). Local gigs grew into regional shows and soon Steve caught the attention of such notable figures as Eric Johnson, Paul Reed Smith, “Dimebag” Daryl Abbot and others. Soon after, Steve was exposed to the world of touring; gigging nationwide nearly continuously, from D.C. to Seattle, Hollywood, to Texas and everywhere in between. After years of constant touring in pickup trucks, dealing with a withering metal scene, Steve got a wild hair to move to South Carolina and play Country music. Yee Haw!
The Country thing only lasted a few months, but liking his new surroundings, Steve decided to stay. Spending the next decade-plus playing with a wide variety of cover bands, provided Steve with an expansive range of additional influences from Brent Mason to George Benson, Eric Johnson, the DeLeo Brothers (Stone Temple Pilots), all the fantastic Funk players, and most recently all the Southern Rock masters, such as the inimitable Warren Haynes, Duane Allman, Gary Rossington and Allen Collins; a collection far too extensive to list here.
Several years of 300+ gigs a year with various local/regional acts has further transformed Steve from a guy who just loves to play to an artist who craves the stage seven nights a week. Through all this, Steve has continued writing music. Over the years this wide range of influences has really begun to show in Steve's songwriting. Although heavy grooves and riffs still make up a good number of Steve's songs, you'll notice the huge array of influences. Steve is currently endorsed by Voodoo Amplification, ESP Guitars, Seymour Duncan Pickups,
D'Addario Guitar Strings, Keeley Electronics, Warehouse Guitar Speakers and Mental Case Road Cases.
Released in November 2010 to rave reviews throughout Europe, this instrumental foray takesyou on a wild ride through many styles and vibes of music, through the aforementioned genres,also including hints of Latin, Jazz, even a Classical moment or two. The variety can only bedescribed as schizophrenic musical bliss! As one listens through this collection, the diversity
even among the heavier rock tracks, is pronounced and sets it apart from so many otherInstrumental rock releases. It's this diversity and attention to how the song “feels” that Stevehopes will become the signature hallmark of his instrumental guitar career. Completely selfwritten, performed, produced, engineered and mixed, "dE-eVolution oF thEorY" is an excellent
showcase of Steve's many musical talents.
"Senes gave a totally kick-ass performance, wowing judges and audience alike with his
chops, dynamics, tone, and attitude." -GuitarPlayer.com
“First of all, where have you been and why are we just now getting to hear you ...you
have a style all your own but I just have to say this - Yngwie Who?” - Jennifer Batten,
longtime guitarist for Michael Jackson, Jeff Beck Group, Solo Artist
“...just magical. (It) really floored me. Excellent! - Greg Hampton, producer for Ronnie
Wood, Alice Cooper, Lita Ford, etc...
“Steve is an incredibly talented player who has chops, melody as well as groove...Steve
has the skills to become the next great instrumental guitarist of our time!" - Trace Davis,
Owner of Voodoo Amplification
“Wow - wow wow wow! Amazing man. After listening to 15 other guitar players...you
managed to light the place up. You're great...the only question is why we haven't heard of
you yet, you're good...” - Elliot Easton of The Cars
“...absolutely amazing...you got a shot at doin' something Pal” - Earl Slick, guitarist for
John Lennon, David Bowie
“Badass! You're my new favorite guitar player...I wanna be you when I grow up” -
Legendary Guitarist Steve Lukather of Toto
So who is this guy? Imagine if you will the soulful, melodic catchiness of Joe Satriani, EricJohnson and George Lynch; the sneaky, rhythmic quickness of old school Eddie Van Halen andNuno Bettencourt; the harmonic complexity of Steve Vai and Jason Becker; the insane shred ofYngwie Malmsteen and Paul Gilbert. Now add the drum and bass-heavy crunch of Metallica;
the brutal grooviness of Pantera, Disturbed and Sevendust. Toss in a cool Latin journey alaCarlos Santana; even take a trip back to the 70’s on a Starsky and Hutch vibe.
The above is but a glimpse of the music of guitarist/songwriter Steve Senes. Combining amultitude of styles, culled from many years of touring the U.S. playing almost every type of clubscene imaginable (Rock, Metal, Disco, Country etc.) Steve is able to musically craft and tell astory taking the listener up, down, and a little sideways, all without relying on lyrics and vocals,and manages to show some impressive guitar skills as well!
Since discovering the music of KISS at the age of 7, loud pounding Rock-n-Roll has played acentral roll in Steve's life. Growing up in a rural town fifty miles south of Washington, D.C., out ofrange of most radio stations (no MTV), exposure to new music wasn't easy to come by. Being
content with the escape provided through the music of such bands as KISS, Iron Maiden,AC/DC, Van Halen and Ozzy (to name but a few), Steve didn’t actually start playing seriouslyuntil the age of 15, after hearing the insane playing of Yngwie Malmsteen.
According to Steve, “I was at a party and my friend Dave said “hey check this out”, and puts onthe live Alcatrazz album. As soon as I heard Yngwie’s playing, I committed myself to becomingthe best player I could be, right there on the spot!”
Solely self-taught, Steve quickly began building a name for himself, pulling off Randy Rhoadsand Van Halen solos by ear, only mere weeks after picking up the guitar. Cutting his teeth playing the local scene, Steve learned early on to love the stage. Driven by this, Steve retreated into an almost unimaginable practice regimen. On days when he actually went to school, Steve was playing guitar 12 to 14 hours a day, sometimes more.
All the heavy practicing began to pay off early as Steve started entering and winning every guitar contest within driving range (including one judged by the legendary Steve Vai). Local gigs grew into regional shows and soon Steve caught the attention of such notable figures as Eric Johnson, Paul Reed Smith, “Dimebag” Daryl Abbot and others. Soon after, Steve was exposed to the world of touring; gigging nationwide nearly continuously, from D.C. to Seattle, Hollywood, to Texas and everywhere in between. After years of constant touring in pickup trucks, dealing with a withering metal scene, Steve got a wild hair to move to South Carolina and play Country music. Yee Haw!
The Country thing only lasted a few months, but liking his new surroundings, Steve decided to stay. Spending the next decade-plus playing with a wide variety of cover bands, provided Steve with an expansive range of additional influences from Brent Mason to George Benson, Eric Johnson, the DeLeo Brothers (Stone Temple Pilots), all the fantastic Funk players, and most recently all the Southern Rock masters, such as the inimitable Warren Haynes, Duane Allman, Gary Rossington and Allen Collins; a collection far too extensive to list here.
Several years of 300+ gigs a year with various local/regional acts has further transformed Steve from a guy who just loves to play to an artist who craves the stage seven nights a week. Through all this, Steve has continued writing music. Over the years this wide range of influences has really begun to show in Steve's songwriting. Although heavy grooves and riffs still make up a good number of Steve's songs, you'll notice the huge array of influences. Steve is currently endorsed by Voodoo Amplification, ESP Guitars, Seymour Duncan Pickups,
D'Addario Guitar Strings, Keeley Electronics, Warehouse Guitar Speakers and Mental Case Road Cases.
Meet Steve Senes
