Nieve, who playing this year’s Fuji Rock Festival as a solo artist, has been working with Elvis Costello as keyboardist and contributing songwriter for decades. As a member of Costello’s backing band, The Attractions, he was involved heavily in the making of classic albums such as This Year’s Model, Imperial Bedroom, and Blood and Chocolate.

He was inducted into the (somewhat dubious) Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 as part of Elvis Costello and The Attractions. Booker T., also in this year’s Fuji Rock lineup, was inducted in 1992 along with The M.G.s.

In the original announcement for this year’s lineup, Nieve was billed as “Steve Nieve featuring Joe Sumner”. Sumner is the bass player and singer for Fiction Plane (and his dad, Gordon Sumner, a.k.a. Sting, was inducted into the R n R Hall of Fame himself the same year as Tilbrook, with The Police).

The lineup announcement was changed earlier this month, however, and now it reads “Steve Nieve band featuring Glenn Tillbrook”. Tilbrook is the co-founder and main singer-songwriter for classic British band Squeeze (who haven’t been inducted into the Hall of Fame). Tilbrook recently did a small solo acoustic tour of Japan, playing live houses and clubs.

As for racking up his air miles flying to Japan twice this summer, Steve will be playing the Summer Sonic ‘09 festival just a couple weeks later as a part of his other longstanding relationship: Elvis Costello and The Impostors. I'm pretty sure they’ll be the only Hall of Famers in attendance at that one (correct me if I'm wrong...).

Jeff

*Steve Nieve title photo ©Keiko "keco" Hirakawa and used with permission.